


Viperdance

by Nakira Taisho (nakirataisho)



Series: Trials of Dancers [2]
Category: Kiesha'ra Series - Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-08
Updated: 2014-05-08
Packaged: 2018-01-24 00:16:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1584677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nakirataisho/pseuds/Nakira%20Taisho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The sequel to Sparrowcall, Kiara's mate, Matthew, details his experiences during the falcon Syfka's visit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Many years ago, when Egypt was young, the Dasi lived.  A powerful group of thirteen priests and priestesses who worshipped the dual powers of Ahnmik and Anhamirak.  After many years of long life and magic, the Dasi split into two groups of shapeshifters.  Falcons and Serpiente.  The Falcons were banished by the leader of the Serpiente, for use of black, destructive magic.

Shortly after that, a people rose up known as the Avians.  The two peoples lived in peace until the rulers of the two peoples were killed in unknown circumstances.  War broke out and continued for thousands of years.  Until a sparrow convinced a hawk of her courage and showed a cobra how to fly.

True, this sparrow had very little to do with the end of the war, she only said what some were frightened to admit or see.  That’s what made me fall in love with her.  Her spirit and determination.  The way she never shows that she’s terrified of what people think of her.

It’s been almost a year since the war ended.  A wonderful year, though it’s been troubled with small outbreaks of battle and hatred.  Slowly but surely though, the two civilizations are settling into peace and growing accustomed to no longer losing loved ones to battle.  More importantly, my mate Kiara and I are doing everything we can to help the king and queen of our peoples.

Unfortunately, we’ve received word that an ambassador from the Falcon city of Ahnmik is to arrive soon.  If she doesn’t arrive before Zane and Danica travel to the Hawk’s Keep in Avian lands, it will be solely mine and Kiara’s duty to ensure she is taken care of.  With the two of us bearing the title of ‘regent’, we always take care of things in the Serpiente Palace during the Diente and Naga’s absence.

It worries me about the arrival of this falcon.  But I am also worried about Kiara.  She has been acting strange recently, becoming faint and ill when she has never been sick a day since I’ve known her.

_Matthew Cobriana_

_Serpiente Prince Regent and Leader of sha’Mehay_


	2. Visitor

_Serpiente Market, Summer, 703_

The shadow of a sparrow falls on me and my mate as we dance a _sakkri_.  The music falters, and so does my movement, but Kiara easily catches me and helps our dance flow to a halt as the shadow disappears.  We step off the dais and search the market for the sparrow.

“There she is, talking to Zane.”  Kiara tugs me towards them.  It shouldn’t surprise me that she saw them over the crowd.  Unlike most sparrows, who are small and clumsy, the love of my life is tall and lithe.  She is taller even than the tallest serpents in the market, and as graceful as though she was a serpent rather than a bird.

“Okay.”  We make it to the pair.

“Where’s Dani?”  I snigger.

“She’s probably in the Synkal with A’isha.”  Kiara nods.

“Oh right.  Anyways, Syfka’s here, isn’t she?”  She directs the question to the guard.

“Yes, Ma’am.”  Erica the sparrow responds.  Kiara turns to Zane.

“Why don’t you go find Dani?  Matthew and I will…entertain Syfka until the two of you arrive.”  He pauses, but nods and hurries off towards the Synkal, searching for Danica.  Erica starts towards the front gates of the palace and Kiara and I follow her.  I hear a shift as Amara and Hal, the two white vipers who seem to always trail behind us even when we don’t need guards, follow us out of the market.

We arrive at the gate almost too quickly and we receive a curt nod from the falcon.  I had never seen anyone else the same height as Kiara, but there she was, plain as day.  She’s holding a soldier’s attention, but I can see the disdain in her expression clearly.  Kiara stiffens beside me.  It concerns me, but I assume that she’s working on putting up a reserved expression and mannerism—the way she does whenever we deal with the avian court.

“I am surprised to see someone arrive other than the rulers.”

“Our Diente and Naga shall be arriving momentarily.  We will, however, gladly listen to what you have come to say.”  Syfka frowns at Kiara’s words and Kiara frowns back.  “I’m sure you would like to return to Ahnmik as soon as is possible, so it may be in the best interests of all involved to go ahead.”  Syfka’s frown deepens.

“I am looking for one of our people, who I have reason to believe is in this area.”  I frown.

“A falcon?  I don’t know of any falcons among the serpiente.  Kiara?”

“As far as I am aware, there have been no falcons among the avians in over a decade.  I will ask Danica when they arrive.”

“The falcon could have altered its form, its coloring.”  Syfka speaks as though speaking to children.  “I hesitate to even offer a gender, as that could be feasibly hidden, too.  Unless you’d seen the person’s falcon form, there would be no way to know.”  Kiara scowls.

“Then why come here to ask us?  If there is no way for us to tell whether someone is a falcon, how can we help you search?”

“Though it seemed unlikely, I thought the criminal might have asked for asylum from the Tuuli Thea, since some on the island know of our past alliance with the avian people.”

“As I said, I will ask Danica when they arrive.  May I inquire as to what this criminal did?”

“That is not your concern.”  Her answer is brisk, almost too fast.  I would argue it, but I doubted that someone trying to hide would befriend even the leaders of the local dancer’s guild, much less the royal family.  Kiara narrows her eyes to slits, clearly wishing to protest as well.  If this so-called criminal turns out to be someone we know, we’ll probably be the loudest of arguers.

“There are many people who pass through the avian court every day.  It would be difficult to notice a newcomer unless they personally introduced themselves to the Tuuli Thea or someone close to her.  I am sure Danica will agree with me in that we will speak to her guards and find out if they have noticed anyone unusual.”

“Zane and I will speak with the serpiente.  If there are newcomers in these lands, the members of sha’Mehay will probably have heard of them.”  I add politely, already running through a list of gossips in my mind to speak to.

“See that you do.  I want this done quickly, so I can leave this _equakeiel_.”  I frown at the last word.  It’s in the old Dasi language, and I know a little of that language.  Her description of the lands is not flattering.

“If you are so displeased to be here, you are welcome to leave and let us conduct this search on our own.”  I suggest politely.

“You would never recognize a falcon without my assistance.  Your kind is as blind to Ahnmik’s magic as a worm is to the sun.”  She scoffs.  And under her breath, I hear a muttered ‘you notice it only when it scalds you’.  Abruptly, she takes her falcon form and takes to the sky.  _‘I will return shortly to see to your progress.’_

I shudder at the words that whisper through my mind like a line of lyrics heard after the end of a song.  I don’t doubt in the least that the voice came from Syfka, and it disturbs me deeply to have the sensation of someone—even briefly—in my mind.  Beside me, Kiara pales and sways.  I put an arm around her waist to steady her.

“Are you okay?”  She nods slightly.

“I’m fine.”  Her voice shakes a little.  “It was just a dizzy spell.”  I frown.

“You’ve been having those a lot lately…”

“I’m fine.  Probably just danced a bit too much this morning.”  Zane and Danica come into the room.

“Where’s Syfka?”

“She just left.”  Kiara laughs a little.  “Stormed out like a nestling that didn’t get its treat.”

“What did she want?”  So, we tell them quickly about what Syfka had said.

“Oh…You two are right.”  Zane nods in agreement.

“I think we should try to get a better sense of what Syfka is capable of before she returns—and if possible, learn something about her criminal, or at least get an idea of how and where he or she might be hiding.”  Danica nods slightly.

“Falcon contempt for outsiders is legendary.  Even though we had an agreement with them during the war, we were never in a position to demand much in the way of concrete information.  They certainly didn’t speak of criminals or illusion spells.”  I clear my throat.

“If you’ll excuse us…Kia and I need to go prepare for tonight…and I need to speak with A’isha.”

“Of course.  Go on ahead.  We’ll see you tonight.”  Danica smiles and Kiara and I leave.  We head for our rooms and Kiara glares at me when we get there.

“I’m fine.”  I raise an eyebrow and she sighs.  “Fine.  I’m not completely all right.  But I’m well enough that I don’t need to rest.”

“Kia…you’ve been having headaches and dizzy spells, and been faint for the past two weeks.  I think you should rest.”  She sighs again, this time sounding more than a bit aggravated.

“I’m fine.  And besides, symptoms like this are normal.”  She bends a little to kiss my cheek and heads to her store of herbs—it never ceases to amaze me how much interest she has in medicine—and pulls out a jar filled with a mixture that I recognize as Galen’s Raspberry-Ginger tea.  I blink in surprise.

“Normal…you mean…?”  She smiles slightly at me and starts fixing a cup of the tea.

“Yes, Matthew.  If I’m not mistaken, I’m pregnant.  These are the same symptoms that Irene had when she became pregnant with Salem.”  She laughs a little at my shocked expression.  “Something wrong?”

“You’re pregnant…that means…”  I smile at her.  I’m going to be a father.  Suddenly, a list of worries hits me like a brick and my expression sobers.

“Matt?”  She sits down at the table and beckons me to sit with her.  I do.  “What’s wrong, love?”

“This is great, but…you’re a sparrow…how would that affect the baby?”  She pauses.

“You’re right to be worried…it should be fine though, the baby’s half avian, so I’m sure everything will be fine.”  Her teapot starts whistling and she fixes her cup before sitting back down.  “Matt, smile.  As worrying as it may be to think of certain factors, it is good news that I’m pregnant.  Think what it means for Zane and Dani.”  Then I remember that the two of them _do_ need an heir.  And it has been a worry of all of the family that they wouldn’t be able to have a child.

“But it’s different…you’re a sparrow, and I’m a viper.  Cobras and hawks are different even from the two similar creatures.”

“And there would be the worry that the child would hold only one of their parents’ second forms.  But the serpiente have Salem if the child is a hawk, and Lady Nacola is still in her prime.  If she found a second mate and bore a child, the Tuuli Thea would be preserved if the child were a cobra.”  She smiled encouragingly as she sips her tea and I know she’s right.  The hours pass quietly and she eventually stands.  “We should get ready.  Danica is dancing tonight, and it will be a sight to behold.”  She moves to the wardrobe and locates a bundle of _melos_ scarves.

I go to the wardrobe as well and change from my loose clothes I had been wearing to walk through the market and dance into a tightly fitting pair of slacks and an open tunic.  Kiara arranges the scarves around her body in an improvised bodice and short skirt before sitting before her mirror and arranging her long hair into a braid that hangs over her shoulder to reveal the feathers at the nape of her neck.

I can’t help but come up behind her and light a kiss on her skin, which is so often out of my reach without straining.  She smiles a little and with the grace of a serpent stands.  “Let’s go.  You need to speak with A’isha anyways, unless Zane has already spoken with her.”

“Right.”  A thought occurs to me.  One that I’d rather not have.  “Kia…what if the falcon that Syfka is looking for is one of the Royal Flight?”

“Then we will find some way to prevent the Empress’ Mercy from taking them.”  She says darkly, then she blinks.  “Odd…”

“What’s the Mercy?”  The question exits my mouth without my thinking.

“The royal family’s body guards…but I shouldn’t know that.”  She shakes her head.  “I’ll worry about it later.  For now, this is a happy occasion.  We should go to the nest.”  She leaves our rooms and I hurry after her.  “Even when I met Sebastian…no mention of Falcon culture was made…”

“Sebastian?”

“A peregrine falcon that came to the Hawk’s Keep before Mara died.  He was an ambassador of sorts, though he was only twelve at the time.  Dani and I played with him, teaching him children’s games because he didn’t know any—much to our surprise.  When Syfka arrived to check on him, he announced that he wanted to stay and be Dani’s Alistair.  I remember her horrified expression before she ordered him to return home.”  She laughs a little, though I recognize the dark shadow to it.

“Someone was lost that was close to you around that time?”  She nods a little.

“Leon…he was my…my Alistair.  Though he was the second one.”

“I thought that avians only had one…”

“He was a year older than I…and his parents and Nacola agreed to arrange the two of us to be together…I didn’t know him more than as just a friend though.  But…his death was fairly traumatic.  As was the death of my first Alistair.”  She shudders at the memory and I put an arm around her waist.

She smiles a little.  “Still…when I think of better times, one of the first things that comes to mind is Peregrine wings…that, and jeweled eyes.”  We arrive at the nest and are greeted with warm hugs and get ushered to the stage.  We laugh together and step onto the stage, dancing in celebration and joy.  When Zane and Dani arrive, we step down, the dance finished, and approach them.

“You two look positively jovial.  Did something happen?”  Kiara shakes her head, smiling conspiratorially.

“Not at all.”  I shake my head a little.

“We’ll tell you after Danica’s dance.”  Kiara sways a little and I sigh.  “We’ll save you a seat around the fire, Zane.”  I lead Kiara to the fire and we sit down as the dancers start passing around food.  Zane joins us shortly and we join together in the discussions rambling around the flames.


	3. Learning

Danica steps onto the stage, blushing brightly and dressed in a modest costume.  A’isha and Kiara encourage the blushing queen and she dances.  First, a simple _sakkri’nira_ , then Maeve’s solo from the Namir-da, the most complex of the _intre’marl_.  Zane stays riveted by the passion of his mate’s dance and it makes me almost laugh aloud.  I can imagine that he is very much looking forward to dancing the Namir-da with her in four months.

Near the end of the dance, as the music softens, Danica stumbles.  Zane rushes to catch her and barely manages not to tumble to the floor along with her.  A’isha and I both hurry over, followed by Kiara.

“Danica, are you…?”  A’isha breaks off when she realizes her question is falling on deaf ears.  Danica is unconscious.  She, like other avians, didn’t faint.  The body of an avian utilized oxygen at a rate fast enough to keep the body supplied during a long flight against wind.  Kiara grins in surprise.  I’m sure she’s thinking of what we were talking about earlier.

“Ooh.”  Danica stirs and looks at Zane, confused.  “Zane.”

“What happened?”  He asks after she tries to sit, but falls back, touching her forehead.

“I’ll…be okay.”  She pauses.  “I was just…dizzy.”  Zane helps her stand.

“Little hawk, you’ve never been faint before.”  A’isha says lightly, her expression shifting from worried to startled to amused.

“It’s hot in here, and I’ve been tired and nervous.”  The hawk argues.  “Perhaps this was too much.”  She tucks her head down in embarrassment at the realization that she fainted in front of an audience.

“Bring her to rest, Zane.”  A’isha orders Zane, disregarding—as all do in the nest—that he is her king.  “I hear your sister’s mate makes an excellent raspberry-ginger tea.  I suggest you get the recipe.  Now off with you.”  Zane blinks in surprise and looks at Danica.

“Is she right?”

“I don’t know what she’s talking about.  I hate raspberry tea.”  I laugh a little.  She obviously didn’t understand the hint in A’isha’s words.

“Danica, Danica…”  He shakes his head a little, then frowns deeply.  “You’re cold.”

“I’m just tired.”  She protests, but I can see that she’s shivering a little.

“A’isha?”  She hurries over.

“Yes?”

“Would you send some of the Royal Flight to the Keep for Danica’s doctor?”

“Kiara’s already doing that, it would seem.”  She laughs, looking towards the door, where Kiara is standing and talking quickly to a person that I recognize as Erica.  “Meanwhile, your mate may rest downstairs.”  Danica pushes away from Zane a little.

“Zane, I’m not—”

“Danica, you can fly for hours under the Mediterranean sun without being winded; dancing shouldn’t leave you this drawn.”  He points out.  “The nest is designed to hold in warmth; it is never cold.”  He adds.  I can tell that he hopes that A’isha’s assumption is correct, as I can clearly see the hope in his eyes as he glances at me.

I smile slightly and go with him to the stairs at the back of the nest.  Bright voices greet a newcomer at the door just before we reach them and Danica turns, forcing her mate to do the same.  I already know who it is and move to greet the raven.  She and A’isha start chatting in the old language and I follow it a bit.  Even having studied the old tongue my whole life, she was fluent in it.  Finally, A’isha admits defeat.

“I’ve been studying the old language since I was a child, but you’ve surpassed me.”  Valene beamed then greeted me with a hug.

“I never could have managed without your teachings.”  She directs the statement to me and A’isha both and I blush slightly.  I really didn’t do much to teach her, as when I met her I didn’t know much of the language anyways.

“Valene?”  Danica says, clearly surprised.  Valene turns and excuses herself before moving to greet Zane and Danica with a curtsy.  Rei trails behind her and I blink.  The only reason he’s allowed in is because A’isha’s teaching him to dance—guards are allowed entrance to the nest far less than even cobras.

“Milady Shardae, Diente Zane.  It is good to see you both.”

“Your Tuuli Thea was about to go lie down; she was feeling faint.  Zane, one of my dancers is off to fetch the palace doctor, and I believe Kiara sent Erica to the Keep—Andreios, relax.”  A’isha stops the crow before he can start panicking.  “There is no problem.  Zane is simply being overprotective in the most charming way.”

“I think I _will_ go take a nap.”  Danica says quietly, before Zane or Rei can say anything.  “Zane, Rei, I forbid you from worrying. There is nothing wrong with me that rest will not heal, and you need to talk to Valene.”

“Sensible woman.”  A’isha laughs.  Zane hesitates.

“I’ll walk her down and stay by her door.  If she wakes or anything happens, I’m sure you’ll be nearby.”  Rei says lightly.  A’isha sighs at the two.

“I don’t know what all the fuss is about.  Women have been having children forever.  Rei can take care of her.  You have work to do and your mate wouldn’t approve of you shirking your duty when she’s in no danger at all.”  With that, Rei and Danica go down to the lower rooms and Zane—as Rei predicted—arranged to speak with Valene with me and Kiara in the room right next to Danica’s.

“Andreios says you have had a visit from Syfka?” Zane is clearly distracted by his worries about Danica, so I nod.

“The falcons have lost someone, and seem to think that we might have him.  Our knowledge of their world is sadly lacking, and Zane thought it best to learn more before Syfka returns.”

“Erica suggested that you might be able to help.”  Zane adds.

“Thank you for the compliment.”  Valene answers lightly.  “Among my adventures, I spent several months as a student on the falcon island.  What did Syfka have to say about the lost falcon?”

“Only that he—or she—was a criminal, that he might have changed his appearance so we would never know what gender he was, and that he might have asked for asylum among our people.  So far, no one has come up with any ideas.”

“The falcon’s easiest magics include illusions so strong they can fool every sense.  We would never be able to recognize one of their kind, if he wanted to hide.  As for gender…”  Valene pauses, laughing.  “I’ve seen such a switch made with illusions, though I’ve never heard of it being maintained for much time.  Still, Syfka is probably certain that if she names one gender, our little minds won’t think to consider someone who appears the other.”  Kiara frowns deeply.

“If that’s the case, how could Syfka expect us to recognize this criminal?”  Valene shakes her head.

“I doubt she does.  Falcons aren’t quick to overestimate anyone else.  Most likely she asked for your help primarily as a formality.”

“That kind of formality seems out of place, considering her opinion of our kind.”  Zane frowns.

“It is hard to explain.  On the falcon island, appearances and conventions are crucially important.  The polite face is unnerving in a city where torture and manipulation are condoned.”

“If you spent time on the island recently, do you know anything about the criminal they’re looking for?”  Valene laughs—the barking laugh that sounds like a caw that ravens and crow had a tendency to.

“The word ‘recently’ is nonsense, since more than a century may go by before the Empress turns to an unpleasant matter, and asking ‘which falcon criminal?’ is like asking ‘which leaf?’ while standing in a forest.”

She shakes her head a little.  “Falcon law is strict.  So much as disagreeing with the Empress can get one executed, even if she _was_ wrong.  The criminal they are looking for now may have done nothing more than accidentally curse in the Empress’ presence and then flee her punishment: execution by torture.  Of course, no one on the island would dare argue with the sentence.  Implying that the royal family is anything but flawless, just and merciful is considered treason, and punishable by death.”  I shudder, as do Zane and Kiara.

I know from experience with avians that they hold their laws and royal family a little above the rest of the population and had strict rules, but they weren’t that bad.  The citizens of the two kingdoms had the right to question their monarchs, and that had saved us from tragedy in the past.  Falcon society as Valene describes it sounds horrific.

The raven sighs.  “I could give you a course in falcon etiquette, but no matter what you do, Syfka will find some reason to disapprove of you.  You’ll be either rude or obsequious, stupid or arrogant.  Falcons are raised with the idea that their kind is superior to any other.  When it comes to magic, strength, stamina or recall, they are.”

And she's well aware of that superiority.  Syfka’s arrogance made that clear.  Even without their history of practicing black magic they gave the world good reason to hate them.  “My advice is to treat Syfka courteously, and try to see to what she wants without completely disrupting the palace.  Also, if A’isha’s hints are correct, it would be best if the falcon does not see Danica again.”

“They might not respect either of us, but the falcons have definitely shown more of a preference for avians in the last few thousand years.”  Zane points out.  “Might Syfka behave more civilly with Danica?”

“If she’s really pregnant, then no, she won't be more civil.”  Kiara says suddenly.  “And I don’t think it will be a good idea for _me_ to see her again, either.”

“Why?”

“In Ahnmik, it’s a scandal if a gyrfalcon has a child with a peregrine, even if both are of equal rank.  A match between, say, a hawk and a falcon, two very similar creatures, is seen as disgusting; any child born of them is considered mongrel, a travesty of nature.  If Danica really is carrying your child, and Syfka realizes this, the falcon will be horrified.  I don’t think she would harm it, but…”  Valene trails off.  “The falcons prize children above almost anything, but Syfka might not see a cobra-hawk as a child.”  Zane looks at Valene icily.

I can tell that some of the worries that Kiara and I discussed earlier are running through his mind.  A knock on the door alerts us and Andreios steps in.

“Betsy is here.  She was scandalized enough that I was sitting by Danica’s door when she arrived; I can guarantee you that she won’t allow you into the room until she is certain about Danica’s condition.”  Zane’s face falls at the idea of having to fight Betsy to get into the room and I can tell he’d rather face down Syfka.  “Perhaps we should retreat to the main nest?”

“I will keep thinking, but I believe I’ve shared all the useful knowledge of falcons I have.  I’m sorry it wasn’t more helpful.”  We all start upstairs and Kiara sways beside me.  I steady her.

“Are you okay?”

“Just a little faint…I’m fine though.  I think the warmth of the nest will help.”  I nod slowly and we continue up to the nest.

“Betsy still has not confirmed anything, I understand?”  A’isha asks loudly when we arrive.

“That is correct.”  Zane answers just as loudly.  All of the dancers gathered to eavesdrop sigh in disappointment and go back to their business.

“My dancers seem to think they have the right to know everything the moment it happens—ceaseless gossips, all of them.  Even so, our blessings go to you, your mate and, if hope proves true, your child.”

“Thank you; I will pass the words along to Danica as soon as her doctor lets me see her.”  A’isha laughs softly and I head to the fire to sit down with Kiara.  She leans against me when we sit and I put an arm around her.

“Sparrow, you don’t look well.  Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Alice.  Thank you for your concern.”  Kiara smiles at the python and Valene sits down beside us.

“What did you mean, Kiara?  Are you expecting?”

“Yes…I am.  And I highly doubt that a falcon of any rank, much less Syfka, would view Danica or me as carriers of blessings.”  Again, she looks surprised at her words.

“How much do you know about Falcons, Kiara?”  Valene asks, the confusion in her tone clear.

“Only what you told us…though earlier…I think we should speak in private.”  Kiara stands abruptly, pulling me with her.  Valene nods and the three of us head downstairs.  We see Betsy exiting Danica’s room and stop.  “Well?”

“What do you think her problem is, Lady Kiara?”

“So she is pregnant?”  The little crow nods once.  “Good.  I was hoping to share in the joy when she woke.  How long do you think it will take her to be as close to normal as she can be under the circumstances?”

“Several days…You seem unsurprised at the situation.”

“Of course I’m not surprised.  If my suspicions hold true, I am expecting as well.  In fact, I’m sure that I’ll be retiring early once again because of it.”  Kiara continues down the hall and into a room.  I nod politely to the crow as she heads up to the nest.  Valene and I join my mate in a room and we all sit down.

“So, what occurred earlier?”  Valene looks between the two of us.

“What do you know of the white Lady’s Mercy?”  Valene raises an eyebrow in surprise.  I stare in open shock at Kiara.  “What?”

“The ‘white Lady’…you’re sure you know nothing of falcons, Kiara?”  She nods once in answer.

“I’m positive.  Which is why I’m concerned.  There are things I suddenly know about falcons that I shouldn’t know.  Like the Indigo Choir…and about the Mercy…things that make me _scared_ to dance.”

“That is certainly strange…”  The crow looks at me.  “I think you should step out, Matthew.”  I pause and Kiara puts a gentle, reassuring hand on my arm.

“You don’t want to know some of the things we’ll be discussing.”  I nod slowly and leave the room, heading up to the nest.  I bump into Zane on the way.

“What did Betsy tell you?”

“Not to do what I’m about to do.  You’ll be astonished.  Andreios is actually dancing in public.”  He heads on to Danica’s room and I laugh slightly, shaking my head.  I see A’isha and Rei dancing and sigh.  The crow is clumsy and awkward, but not so much that he’s hopeless.  I spot Amara and Hal at the edge of the nest and frown slightly.

“What are you two doing here?”  I approach them and they both shrug.

“Watching the leader of the Royal Flight make a fool of himself, of course.”  Amara answers with a laugh.

“And making sure that if our…visitor arrives, she can be intercepted with enough time to fetch Zane and Danica…”  Hal adds lightly, rolling his eyes at his sister’s behavior.  “I’m assuming that we’re welcome here, Sir?”

“Of course.  You both grew up in the nest, so I see no problem with your presence.  Relax, both of you.”  My words are true—unlike their cousins Ailbhe and Adelina, Amara and Hal had been found orphaned and taken in by the nest, they were the same age as Andreios and I’ve known them my whole life.  “I doubt that Syfka will return before morning.”  I look at Amara with a joke in my expression.  “Would you like to show Andreios how it’s done?”

“You have a mate, Matthew.”  She argues half-heartedly.  I smile.

“A casual dance will not bother her.  And she needs her rest as it is.  Don’t want her fainting in the middle of a dance like our Naga.”  The white viper nods slightly, relenting with a laugh, and we go to the stage.  With a challenging look at A’isha, we engage in a dance together with her and Andreios.  I’m sure that to the rest of the nest, the dance seems a clear challenge of A’isha’s reluctant student’s skill.


	4. Worries

I wake with the sun beside Kiara and we stretch together—the way we did when we lived in the nest before.  I see A’isha hurry into the lower rooms and frown.

“I think Syfka has arrived.”  Kiara says lightly, heading for the entrance to the nest.  I follow her quickly.  Sure enough, when we get outside, we see Andreios standing with the falcon.  “Good morning, Lady Syfka.”

“To you as well.”  She nods curtly, but her tone is surprisingly not so disdainful.  The tone clearly shocks Rei as well as me and Kiara.  “I see you are waking.”  Kiara starts to ask for an explanation when Ailbhe and Valene exit the nest, closely followed by Zane.  “You have white vipers in the palace guard?”  Kiara and I excuse ourselves and go to check on Danica.

“How are you feeling, Dani?”

“Tired…and sore.  Zane said that you’re pregnant as well, Kia?”

“Yes.  I think that the only reason I’m not bound to a bed at the moment is because I’ve spent so many years in the nest.”  She shrugs.  “I am, however, deciding to take it easy after seeing your little spell last night.”  I step back as the two start chatting amiably, considering names and problems that may arise when Danica’s child is born.

My worries are a bit heavier than how the Arami will be raised.  What did Syfka mean when she addressed Kia before?  Why did she suddenly show mild respect to a sparrow?  Would she cause trouble when she discovered that Danica was pregnant?  Would she try to cause trouble with the white vipers?  They were descendants of Maeve, who had led the Dasi before it split, and could very well have challenged the Cobriana for the throne.

The falcon criminal could very well be a member of either the Royal Flight or the Palace Guard…falcons are known for their fighting skills, but would their illusions make it simple for one to impersonate a child of notable lineage to become a close guard to the royal family?  It’s doubtful that any falcon would wish to give up flight, even to stay inconspicuous, so the palace guard is an unlikely place for one to hide.  But that makes the Flight an even more likely place for a falcon to hide.  And if the falcon she’s looking for _is_ in the Flight, what will Danica do?

Will she be willing to hand over someone who is as loyal to her and her mother as a member of the Royal Flight to the falcon’s torture?  What if the falcon is Rei?  Not only is he one of the most loyal members of the Flight, but he’s also a dancer.  And I know that I won’t allow any dancer to be turned over to the falcons.  Neither will A’isha.  There’s also Erica.  She’s loyal enough that even Danica and Zane should think twice about handing her over to the falcons.

“Matt?”  Kiara’s tentative hand on mine jolts me from my worries.  “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.  Just thinking.”

. . .

My worry increases as Kiara and I walk through the market.  Word has quickly reached the market and there are some people openly and blatantly refusing to accept a half-avian Arami.  Unless, of course, the child is raised a serpiente and chooses a serpiente mate.  As Kiara said yesterday, the serpiente have Salem, but the avians have no Arami at the moment.  If the child of their Tuuli Thea is raised as Arami, and takes a serpiente mate, the avians would be without a Tuuli Thea.

A reassuring hand on my arm makes me smile at my mate as we take care of Zane’s duties of listening to gossip and complaints.  He has enough to worry about as it is.  I see Valene dancing and we walk over just as she steps down to rest.

“You’ve made yourself at home again, Valene.”  I laugh.

“Naturally.”  She smiles.  “I hear you’re an excellent dancer, Kiara.”

“I like to think so.”  She says, blushing a little.  I suppose it’s one thing for her to be praised by familiar dancers and serpiente, but from a raven, it’s different.

“Well then, I’d like to see.”  She steps aside and Kiara steps onto the dais.  She starts dancing.  After a few moments, something unusual happens.

A surge of power similar to the aura that radiates from Syfka rises around Kiara and for a moment, I can see multicolored lights dancing around her.  A crowd forms, giving some distance from the dais.  Valene stares aghast.  “That’s…falcon magic.  Stop her!”  Without thinking, I dash onto the dais, about to catch her mid step, but she collapses against me.

“Kia?”  I pull her off the dais and frown.

“Go back to your business.”  Valene shoos the crowd away and puts a hand on my shoulder.  “Perhaps you should get her to bed?”  I nod and carry her to the nest.  She stirs on the way.

“Matt…?”  I shake my head a little and hurry to a room downstairs, ignoring questions and concerned touches on the way through the nest.  I put her down on a bed and she frowns.  “What happened?”

“That’s what I’d like to know.”  I pause, putting a hand on her forehead.  Her skin is horribly chilled.  “Are you okay?”

“I think so…it was strange…”  I wait for her to explain.  “While I was dancing…I saw…I don’t know how to describe it.  It was beautiful…I felt like I was dancing in a market full of avians and serpiente…the avians weren’t watching with disdain like they usually do, and my wings were spread.  I rose into the air and looked around to see a beautiful place.  A clearing surrounded on three sides by hill and a structure built into a cliff like a castle…”  She trails off.

I blink in surprise.  I’ve heard that the _sakkri_ used to be danced to see visions of the past and future, but the only people that can weave that magic anymore are the falcons.  And Kiara is clearly _not_ a falcon.  But the waves of power when she danced just now…they made me feel like I was in the presence of a falcon.

“What happened?”  She repeats her question and I pause.

“You started dancing…but after a moment…I felt like I was watching a falcon dance and weave magic.  Granted, it was beautiful…multicolored lights seemed to be dancing along with you.”

“That’s what happens when a falcon dances with magic…”  She pauses.  “How do I know all this about falcons?”

“I’m not sure…to be honest.”  A knock on the door alerts me and I turn to see A’isha stepping inside.

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s another falcon here!  And she’s asking to see you two.”  The worry is plain in her voice and Kiara tries to get up.  She fails miserably and shakes her head.

“It seems that whatever happened to me in the market drained me.  Matthew…would you…?”  I nod and kiss her forehead before going with A’isha up to the nest and outside.  A tall woman, with pale hair and silver eyes, the front of her hair faded black, smiles at me.

“You must be Matthew.  I heard my daughter’s magic crying earlier.  Is she resting in the nest?”  I frown in confusion.

“There are two resting in the nest right now, and both are avian.  Far from being falcon.”  She sighs and pulls a necklace from under her shirt.  I realize that she’s dressed far less casual than even Syfka and pause when I recognize the _Anleh_ she reveals on the necklace.  Being a dancer and a leader of the nest, I have no choice but to let this woman enter the nest.  I step aside and she goes inside.

“I’m sorry for the intrusion.  If I had realized the woman that greeted me was a leader of the nest as well, I would have immediately showed her the coin.  I had hoped not to resort to utilizing that method of entry though.  The girl I am looking for is named Kiara.  She is…if I recall a sparrow?”  I nod once when she glances at me and for a moment, I can see Kiara in her.  Her height, the light tints that creep into Kiara’s hair, the way she walks even.  “I would like to speak with her, if that is all right with you?  You…­ _are_ the Lady’s mate, correct?”  I blink at the way she said ‘lady’ but nod once.

“I am the mate of Kiara Shardae, yes.”

“Ah, it has been such a long time since I was able to look upon this land that I was unsure if fate proved true for my daughter.  If you would show me the way?  And I’m sure that you will be uncomfortable leaving your mate alone in the presence of a falcon.”  I frown, but lead the way.

“Who are you, exactly?”

“My formal title, as I am called on Ahnmik, is too long.  In your language it translates to ‘Lorena, daughter of the Empress, walker of minds, Lady of Ecl’.”  She smiles wryly.  “But Lorena will suffice.”  We arrive at the room I left Kiara in and I open the door slowly.

“Kia, are you awake?”

“Yes…I think the fatigue has worn off…”  She sighs quietly, sitting against the headboard with her hands folded neatly in her lap.  Lorena reacts strangely to the sight.

“Oh…I had not anticipated so many of your natural features to fade through when you grew older…I had hoped the marks of a falcon’s blood would not show.”

“What do you mean?  Who are you?”

“Lorena.”  She answers lightly, adjusting a cuff on her sleeve.  “I hadn’t expected your magic to awaken…I thought that I had bound you to the form of a sparrow early enough…”  She trails off and Kiara frowns deeply.

“Who are you?!  What are you talking about?!”  I flinch and hurry to her side, touching her hands lightly.

“Kiara, calm down…”  She narrows her eyes at Lorena and I gasp in pain as a dark, purple line creeps onto my hand painfully.

“Kiara!  You are hurting your mate!  Calm this second.”  Lorena scolded her, as though she was dealing with a child that was having a temper tantrum.  She blinks and I see a flash of violet in her eyes.  She stares at my hand and gasps in surprise.

“Matt…I…”  She pauses, unsure.  Lorena abruptly is beside me and she grabs my hand.  Almost instantly, the lines disappear and the pain stops.

“This is why I had hoped you had become only a sparrow…”  She sighs and releases my hand.  “But I sensed your magic awakening and it’s only going to get worse the longer you bear that child.”  I frown.

“What do you plan to do to her?”

“Only teach her to protect herself.  Do you think I’d wish to do harm to my own grandchild, despite it being less than pure gyrfalcon?  I am not as…merciless as my mother or sister.”  She pauses.  “I suppose I owe you an explanation.”  She pulls a chair over and sits down, crossing her ankles and closing her eyes in thought.

“You most certainly do!”  Kiara rages.  I start to touch her, to try to calm her, but recoil when I remember the pain from moments ago.

“Lady, I am asking politely that you calm down before your magic lashes out and hurts more than yourself and the child you carry.”  Lorena says firmly and Kiara blinks.

“I’m no royal falcon.”

“But by blood, you are.  You are my daughter, and I am the white Lady’s daughter.  Have you never wondered why you are comfortable dealing with politics and being treated as a royal?  Because you are of royal blood, it is in your nature.”  She laughs harshly.  “A few weeks ago, my sister felt a shift in falcon magic, but she assumed it was her beloved son.  I knew the instant I felt it from my imprisonment in _shm’Ecl_ that it was you.  Servos freed me and I came here.  I had assumed you were at the Hawk’s Keep, and so went there after my path led me to the old Rookery building where I once danced among avians and serpiente…”  She trails off.

She sighs tiredly.  “I sensed the flare of your magic and immediately realized that you were among the serpiente.  I have…admittedly, not been focusing my energies on you as much as I should have, my daughter.”

“Explain.”

“Years ago, I decided that the _sakkri_ I had seen that showed the end of the war needed to come about.  When I discovered that I was pregnant, I naturally took action.  I had initially intended you to grow up among the serpiente or avians and help bring peace, being a falcon that knew the cultures well enough to come to aid the rulers.  However…when my mate and I arrived at the old shelter where…”  She breaks off with a sob.

Lorena shakes her head as though to clear a memory.  “I discovered the wounded sparrows on a battle field.  Two pair bonds that had fallen in battle.  They were alive, and their wounds were only enough that they would have died only if they were left unattended.  Orion and I were able to heal them and take them back to the Hawk’s Keep.  We fortunately had the sense to alter our appearance before arriving.

“We stayed at the Hawk’s Keep for several months.  Long enough to find out that the sparrows we had saved were expecting a child.  They knew we were falcons, so when the woman fell ill and died, taking the child with her in death, the man pleaded with us to save his pair bond and child.  I had just given birth to you when this happened.  I was unable to bring the two back from the dead, but I gave him you.

“I took the unborn sparrow child and bound its magic to you.  I saw that the man would not live to raise you to adulthood, so I…regrettably used persuasive magics on the young princess, Mara.  When the man died, she would plead with her mother to adopt you and raise you as her own.  I hadn’t realized at the time that it had become the practice of Alasdair’s descendants to leave their child in the care of nursemaids who would raise the child to be a ruler with not but formal ties to their parents.”  She shudders at that.

“So…you did that to me…as a newborn?  To do what?  Stop a war that you had only just recently decided needed to end?”

“Yes.  Though I had decided from the time the war started that it was outrageous.  I decided that it needed to end with the next generation because I saw a _sakkri_ that all but required me to take action to prevent.”

“And…what did you see…?”

“The end of both lines.  An end to the war that…while my mother would like to see that…I am loath to see.  We would have stayed in these lands…to see it personally…but the _Mercy_ found us and dragged us back to Ahnmik.”  Kiara hesitates.

“What…what happened when they took you back…?”

“The falcons who had sworn to protect me and my mate were forced to torture him to death.”  Lorena closes her eyes.  “And they would have done the same to me…had I not slid into the _Ecl_ before they could touch me.  Instead, my mother—having forgotten because of her fear of the void that I could walk it and dance with the void’s tender embrace as easily as Servos—had me locked away in the halls of _shm’Ecl_ , bound to a room with magic so I would never be able to leave.”

“But you left…how?  If you were bound there.”  Lorena smiles wryly.

“Servos is a kind warden.  He and I have been friends since before my mother bound him to the halls of _shm’Ecl_ and had him keep an eye on those who have fallen.  The lady does not value the _mana’Ecl_ any more, as she fears the void too much.  She only values mindwalkers and weavers of _sakkri_ now.  She does not realize that those who still hold the title of _mana’Ecl_ will take actions without her knowledge to help them.”

“How can you help me then?  Since I am…obviously endangering myself and the man I love.”  I stand and start to leave.  I don’t need to be present while they talk about that.


	5. Discoveries

Kiara stays in the nest, speaking with Lorena, while I go to see Zane and Danica off.  We walk together to the stables with the group of guards to go with them and I frown, remembering something.

“What’s wrong, Matthew?”  Danica asks lightly.

“It’s nothing…just something Lorena said.”  I notice Rei and Erica both tensing at the name and pause.  “Be careful on your way to the Keep…”

“Who’s Lorena?”

“A falcon who arrived at the nest earlier.  She’s struck up a…friendship with Kiara.”  I word it carefully.  If by some odd chance Kiara is the falcon Syfka is actually looking for, I don’t think it’s best for anyone else to know about it just yet.  “She said before I left…just be careful.”  They nod and both hug me.

“We’ll be back in a couple of weeks.”  I nod and they leave.  It leaves a bad taste in my mouth, but I shake it off and head back to the palace.  I see Kiara and Lorena chatting just inside, on their way to Irene’s rooms.  I realize with a jolt that the two women are the same height, and the familiar way that Kiara is wearing her dark hair almost mirrors the older woman’s.  How old is that falcon, anyways?

“I see you’re feeling better, Kia.”

“Much better, actually.  Lorena’s been a great help.”  Kiara pauses.  “Though I suppose…”

“You may call me whatever you wish, Lady.”

“So long as you stop calling me that…it may be my blood, but I am far from being a royal falcon.”  I fall into step beside my mate and she smiles at me.

“You’re going to speak with Irene?”

“Of course.  Lorena expressed interest in meeting Salem.”

“Are you sure it’s a good idea…?”

“Well, if it isn’t the traitor princess.  Tell me, Lady, how did you escape your prison?”  Syfka’s voice sounds cold behind us and all three of us turn abruptly.

“You honestly didn’t think I’d stay there when I felt my daughter’s magic awaken so abruptly and dangerously, did you?  Or did you think—like my coward mother—that I was truly lost to the void?”  Syfka frowns and they argue in the old language for a few moments.  Kiara frowns and suddenly joins in angrily.  I blink in surprise.  I can only understand snippets of the argument.

Syfka shouts something in the area of ‘abandoning reason for folly’, while Lorena shouts in response something along the lines of ‘doing what must be done’, Kiara answers the accusations with something that I assume means something in the area of ‘sensibility is better than idiocy and cowardice’.  I can’t make sense of much more.

“Who are you searching for?”  I suddenly understand a question from Kiara.

“The heir of the heir.”  Syfka answers swiftly and Kiara sucks in a breath of shock.  The three argue more and with such rapidity I can’t even catch snippets.  Finally, with an enraged shriek, Syfka turns and flies out of the hall in her falcon form.

“How in the skies do I know the old language that fluently!?”

“Ahnmik is in your blood, and so its language is as well.”  Lorena sighs.  “How much did you understand, Matthew?”  I pause.

“Not much.  And that was of what I could actually make out…”

“She spoke of Sebastian…the falcon I told you about.”  Kiara pales.  “He’s with Dani and Zane.  If she finds him and forces him to go with her to the island—”  She breaks off.

“Danica would try to fight her.”  I finish, knowing that if he’s with them, he’s one of the guards—and knowing exactly which one he is.  “Rei?”

“Yes…and there would be nothing we could do to bring him back if they took him.”  Kiara pauses, then takes a deep breath.  For a moment, the only thing letting me know she’s still standing in the hall is her warmth and calm breathing as she hides behind an avian reserve I only remember her putting on right when she started getting accustomed to life in the palace—and shortly after that, the nest.

“Kia…”  I tentatively take her hand and she sighs.

“Sorry.”  She relaxes visibly and the reserve disappears.  “I’m worried that Dani will get herself hurt if Syfka realizes who Rei really is…”  I pause.

“How…strongly has he hidden himself?”

“I barely sensed him when I arrived.  While several others I noticed immediately.  There are four hidden in the Serpiente market.  One in the Royal Flight—who used to be in my mother’s mercy…but I could not figure out where my nephew was hiding.  I had assumed he would be in the Royal Flight, simply because of what he said when he protested returning to the island.  I had not thought he would be the leader by now…”  Lorena sighs, putting her head in her hands and the dark blue—almost black—part of her hair rustles as she shakes her head.

“There has to be a way to get him back if they take him.”

“He’s a dancer in the nest, that has to count for something.”  I say, frowning deeply.  “Lorena?”

“If he is a dancer, then there is hope.  Ahnmik’s magic will not allow my mother to harm a member of any guild of dancers.  As the Cobriana learned years ago, the word of the local guild is more powerful than even a royal edict.”  She smiles slightly.  “If they find him, I doubt any but the two of you will trust my word…as I am technically—traitor as I am—a royal falcon.”  I shake my head.

“I’m sure that Zane and Dani would believe you, at least.”  She laughs musically.

“Yes, and that would be lovely.  But what can a cobra and a hawk do to sway a guild of dancers to trust a falcon?”  The sound of a door slamming open and running alerts us and we all turn when someone runs down the hall.

“Ash?!  What are you doing here?  You are supposed to be…”  Kiara pauses.  “What happened to Shardae and Zane?!”  The crow pauses and for a moment I wonder why he ran instead of flying.  Then I see that he’s in his demi-form, and his wing is broken.  He couldn’t have flown even if he tried.

“The Tuuli Thea and her Alistair were attacked on the road.  Both were injured.  Andreios and Erica have taken them to the Keep, the rest of the guards behind with the last assassin.”

“How many were there?  We’re flying to the Keep.”  Kiara says firmly and I swallow automatically.  I have never flown, and the concept of having my feet more than jumping distance off the ground has me worried.

“Six total.  We killed five and Ailbhe sent me here to let you two know.”

“Rest.”  Kiara turns.  “AMARA!!”  The white viper, who obviously has been nearby the entire time, appears.

“Milady?”

“Take Ash to the infirmary.  Avery will remember how to bind and heal a broken wing from when I fell several years ago.  On your way, find someone to notify Irene and Galen of the assassination attempt and that Matthew and I will be going to the Keep post haste to assess the situation.”

“Yes ma’am.”  She steadies the injured crow and heads for the infirmary.  Kiara walks briskly to the gates and I’m hard pressed to keep up with her long stride.  Lorena follows quietly.  When we get outside, Kiara turns to the falcon.

“Wouldn’t you come with us?  If Danica and the baby are extremely injured and the falcons are unwilling to reveal themselves, someone will have to help her.”  Lorena nods once.

“Of course.”  She looks quizzically at me.  “Have you ever flown before, _Isadora'ra_?”  I blink in surprise, but shake my head.

“No…”

“Then you will experience it today.  We should hurry.”  Lorena shifts without another word and spreads her black and white wings as she flies out over the forest.  Kiara smiles wryly at me and shifts into her sparrow form.  I sigh and shift as well, letting my mate catch me up in her talons and carry me over the forest.  The feeling of flight is terrifying, but amazing.  When we land in front of the Hawk’s Keep, I shift to my human form, grateful to be on solid ground, but disappointed that the flight wasn’t longer.

The gates are standing open and the guards there startled.  They clearly let their injured Tuuli Thea and her Alistair into the Keep moments ago.  Kiara only pauses for a moment before letting her demi-form wings ripple down her back and giving me a look saying I’d better let her carry me.  Lorena has already blasted through the gates and up the levels of the Keep.

I step into my mate’s embrace and she carries me up to the Tuuli Thea’s floor with a strength that even the strongest sparrow would envy.  We land on the floor, much to the surprise of the guards, and Lorena shifts fluidly in front of them.  Kiara hides her wings easily and steps forward.

“We need to see Shardae.”

“Betsy says no visitors…”  Erica joins us.

“We need to see Shardae.”  Kiara repeats dangerously.  The guards flinch, but hold their ground.

“Orders are orders, Ma’am.”

“And I’m _ordering_ you to stand aside and let us through!”  The few times I’ve seen Kiara come into contact with avians in their own lands, she’s never been this blunt or forward, but I can understand.  Danica is as much like a sister to her as Zane is a brother to me.  I would be doing the same if it were his life in danger.

“She’s not to be disturbed.”

“Let me see her!”

“She’s not to be disturbed.”  The guard repeats.

“What is going on here?”  Zane demands behind me and I blink in surprise at the fact that he’s in his demi-form.  Erica spins to face him.

“Please, Zane, you have to let me see her—”

“Explain why and I’ll consider it.”  He answers.  Lorena sighs.

“Step aside, _la’Kel’jaes’oisna’winheah’ona’saniet_.”  She says to Erica and she does so, shivering in surprise.  Without another word, the guards at the door fall unconscious and Lorena pushes into the room.

“I’m still trying to figure out what you did to _me_.  That doesn’t make me anxious to let you near Danica…and I’m even less anxious for that other falcon to be in there.  Kiara?!”

“She’s a friend.  Lorena, wait.”  She hurries into the room and the rest of us follow.  Betsy is sitting in a chair, her position in sleep as abrupt as though she fell asleep at the same moment as the guards.  Zane pales beside me as he takes in Danica’s condition.  She’s clearly fevered, her skin chalky and bruised, cuts mark her skin in places and the smell of blood is rank in the room.  Zane leans against the doorframe and I touch his shoulder.

“Milady.”  Erica whispers quietly.

“Can you do anything?”

“Yes.  Give me space.”  Lorena answers quickly.  “ _La’Kel’jaes’oisna’winheah’ona’saniet_ , help me.”  She commands Erica in the old language and the sparrow—falcon—joins her at the bedside.  Kiara and I usher Zane into the sitting room, where he drops like a stone into a seat.  We both sit on either side of him doing our best to encourage him, though Kiara seems just as worried as I do that he’s in his demi-form.  I’m assuming he just hasn’t realized that he’s in it yet.

After an hour, Erica and Lorena emerge into the room, Erica seeming more taxed than Lorena, and they sit down heavily.

“She’ll be fine.”


	6. Confessed

“And the child?”  Zane’s panicked question causes Lorena to smile a little and Erica to react with a small, hesitant smile.

“She’ll be fine.”  She repeats and for a moment, I wonder if she’s trying to console him by reassuring him that Danica will be fine.

“My daughter?”  There’s no masking the hope in his voice.

“Your daughter.  Thank the sky, she’ll be fine.  They’ll both be fine.”  Lorena says, nodding.  She stands, clearly recovered from the events.  “I will let you explain to your Diente the situation, Kel of the Indigo Choir, of the Empress’ Mercy.”  She smiles at Erica with her statement in the old language before stepping out.  Kiara stands.

“If she’ll be okay…then I think it may be best if we reassure Lady Nacola of her daughter’s safety, Matt.”  I nod and we step out, starting to search for Nacola.  We apparently catch the monarch at a bad time, as she is showing enough emotion to be mistaken for a dancer while speaking with one of the Flight.  The moment she sees us, however, her expression changes and the guard she was talking to is alerted to our presence.  “You’re slipping, Gerard.”  Kiara smiles wryly at him and he blushes a little.

“Milady.”  I bow a little to Nacola and she nods curtly.

“I assume you bear news of my daughter’s condition?”

“Yes, Lady Nacola.  She is fine, thanks to two very skilled healers Matthew and I happened across.”

“The guards tell me a falcon flew in threw the front gate.”

“That she did.  She was one of the skilled healers that we found.  The other was…”

“Me.”  Erica steps into the room, looking tired still, but clearly recovered enough to walk around.  Kiara turns and starts talking worriedly in the old language.  Erica answers and they talk a moment with such rapidity that it has not only Nacola watching in confusion, but me trying to frantically translate.  After a moment, they both sigh and Erica bows to Nacola.  “I am sorry, Milady.  I was sent to inform you that your daughter has well recovered, though it would seem I was preceded.”  A crow flies into the room and shifts.

“Erica, the Tuuli Thea and her Alistair wish to speak with you.”  She nods slightly and glances at Nacola before bowing and stepping out with the crow.

“They must want to speak to her about the possibility of falcon magic being involved in the incident.  We should go speak with Lorena…she is with Zane and Danica.”  Kiara turns to Nacola and nods politely.  “Milady.”  Without another word, she shifts and flies out of the room.  I hurry after her and down to the ground-level courtyard.

“I assume?”  Erica says as I step off the stairs and Kiara shifts to stand beside me.  “After all, I am the only falcon expert you have on hand that was present, and there was falcon magic all over that group.  I should have reported that earlier.  I’m sorry.”

“You had other things on your mind.”  Zane replies with a shake of his head.  “What can you tell us?”

“I don’t know the exact Drawing—spell.  The royals work their magic differently than the lower ranks.  But that alone means it had to be Syfka’s—unless Lady Lorena came here with malicious intent or someone else in the royal house has decided to visit, which I doubt.  The last time any of the other three left was—”  Erica breaks off, averting her eyes.  “Back when Alasdair and Kiesha still lived.”

“Rationally, could she have influenced six of our people so they would be willing to attack us?”  Danica presses.  I already know the answer.  If two falcons could together heal Danica and her child, surely it would be simple to influence a few members of the court who protested the idea of having a half-blood princess.

“It would be nearly impossible to influence someone who never had the thought.  You needn’t worry about Andreios turning against you, for example, mo matter what Syfka tried.  But if they had considered the act, it wouldn’t be too difficult to remove whatever moral or practical inhibitions were stopping them.”  Erica confirms.

“So she could make them bolder, but only if they might have done it anyway?”  Zane asks, clearly concerned.

“If I took away your love for your mate, your respect for life, your fear for your own life, and your desire for peace, maybe you would kill Nacola Shardae.  Not because you would ever rationally do it, but because you would have no reason not to when she next baiting you.”  Erica says with a shake of her head.  Zane frowns, but Danica speaks first.

“So you’re saying these six…were essentially innocent?”  Erica nods.

“By falcon law they would be guilty—guilty of succumbing to another’s magic if nothing else, and beyond that, guilty of disapproving of the actions of their royal house.  But by your laws, they are innocent.”  Danica sighs.

“And five of them are dead now.”  That means we need to give Syfka what she wants as soon as possible.  I risk a glance at Rei, but don’t say anything.

“We need to give Syfka what she is looking for, and send her away from these lands.  If I had imagined for a moment that she would go this far to find me, I would have—”

“You can’t be the one she’s looking for.”  Rei interrupts the worried falcon and for a moment it’s clearly painted on Kiara and Lorena’s faces that their worried he’ll come out with the truth right on the spot.  I notice Kiara pale and I frown.

“Is there someone else you know of…?”  Erica trails off, shaking her head.  “Selfish, idiot hopes.”

“You can’t be important enough to—”

“Yes, I am.”  She says bitterly.  “You should know.  The Empress Cjarsa and her heir, Araceli, command a group known as the Mercy.  Before I fled, I was part of that group—specifically, one of Empress Cjarsa’s four personal guards.  The only people who outranked us were the four—five members of the royal house.”  She amends, seeing Lorena and seeming to barely remember that the falcon that is apparently the grandmother of my child exists. “I, along with my working partner and one of Araceli’s guards, discovered something the Empress wanted to be kept secret.  Araceli wanted me executed just for knowing, but Cjarsa protected me.”

She looks away and takes a deep breath before continuing.  “The Mercy works in pairs.  My working partner was like a very close, dear sister.  We had known each other since we were seven.  She decided that the rest of the Empress’ people should know…”  She shakes her head.  “The Empress called it treason.  When one of the Mercy falters, her partner delivers the punishment.  I refused to bring her in to the Empress.  I fled so I would not have to torture to death the woman I cherished most in the world.”

She continues with a shaky breath.  “In the Empress’ eyes, I am the worst kind of traitor.  She had given me her trust and her protection, and I betrayed her to protect someone who had turned against her.”

“You can’t be the one she’s looking for.”  Rei implores.  He sounds so desperate to have her believe that without revealing himself.  “You said so yourself, the Mercy deals with the Mercy’s faults.  The Empress would not have sent Syfka for you.  Turning yourself in would be useless.”  The two continue arguing and I look at Zane and Danica.  Noticing Kiara’s paleness and clear discomfort, they both nod and I tug my mate out of the courtyard.

Lorena follows us with a polite nod and we go up to the rooms kept for Kiara whenever she fancies to take a trip to the Keep—which isn’t often.  Kiara sits heavily in a chair and I touch her hand gently.

“Kia, what’s wrong?”

“I’m…not sure…”  She shakes her head.  “One second, I was standing in the courtyard with you, listening to Kel give her explanations, the next…I was somewhere else…It was so horrible…I thought for a moment when I felt you pull me to the stairs that I had screamed aloud.”  Lorena hisses.

“ _Sakkri_ …I was mistaken in believing that I could slowly teach you to control your magic.  A selfish, foolish belief.  As foolish as Kel believing she is the falcon Syfka is searching for.”

“She doesn’t know about Sebastian though.”  I say quickly, defending the woman that I know would have given her own life earlier if it meant protecting her Tuuli Thea and Diente.

“True.”  Lorena sighs.  “There is only one… _quick_ way to learn to master the magic of falcons in a way to keep from being swept away in _sakkri_ visions and risk falling into _Ecl_ at the drop of a pin.  Learning to ride the waves of the void and dance the line of Mehay and _Ecl_.”  She looks at me.  “Do not worry.  Though it may take days in the void to discover the patterns of it and steps of the dance, no harm will come to your mate or child.”

I nod slightly and she looks at Kiara.  “You must begin now, if you are to stay in this time without losing moments.”  Kiara nods shakily.

“I do not wish that vision on anyone…and I have no desire to see anything I do not purposefully call.”  She shudders.  “I wish I would forget it…”

“If you are ready…I cannot help you forget it, but I can help prevent it.”  Kiara nods and stands warily.  Lorena goes into the bedroom and I start to follow with Kiara.  She stops me.

“I don’t know if…whatever she plans to teach me, I don’t want to risk hurting you.  I’ll be fine.”  She cuts off my protests with a light kiss and shuts the door behind her.  I sit down and put my head in my hands, waiting.


	7. Taken

After hours of alternately sitting and pacing with worry, Lorena emerges from the room, alone.  I start to panic, but she lifts a hand.

“She will wake.  I am not sure how long it will take her to learn the void’s dark song and dance, but she will wake.”  I look around her into the room to see Kiara crouched in a resting position familiar to me—any dancer having done strenuous dancing will take that position to rest at the end—knelt on the ground with her hands on her knees and head bowed.

“How can you not be sure…?”

“It took me two weeks in the void to learn her song and be able to dance with her without losing myself.  Some of the _mana’Ecl_ took longer to learn it.  Being one of the elder members of the coven, I had an advantage.  Some took only days to master it.  It depends on the falcon…and how strong their ties to the real world are.  Kiara’s ties are strong—her love for you and the child she carries, her worries and vows to her Diente and Naga, and her desire to learn more than what she knows.  Those ties are strong enough to bring her back.”  She explains.

At my worried look, she puts a hand on my shoulder.  “Worry not for your mate or your child.  They will both be fine.  Syfka has left these lands, but I do not think it will be long before my sister herself sends her Mercy—if she does not leave the shelter of the White City to come here—to find Sebastian.”

“That is who she was looking for?”  Erica enters the room, clearly having heard the statement meant to calm my worries for my mate and replace them with ones she thought more important.  Her confidence in Kiara’s safety and chance of waking seeping into me and smoothing my—despite not having feathers, I most certainly feel rumpled.

“Yes, Kel.”  Lorena answers in the old language.

“ _A’le-Anleh_ …I was completely unaware he was even…”  She breaks off.  “Lady, do you know who he is disguised as?”

“You will discover him in due time.  It would do no good for concerns to be raised against you when you just were appointed leader of the Royal Flight, temporary as that position may be.”  She continues encouragingly in words I can’t understand and Erica looks to me.

“I should apologize to you and your mate as well.  You have trusted me just as much as my Diente and Naga.”  I shake my head.

“No apology is necessary Erica—Kel.  I can understand why you did it.  And I’m sure Kiara feels the same way.”

“Where is she, anyways?”  I pause, unsure.

“She’s…in her room.”

“Physically.”  Lorena explains in the old language quickly.  “Learning to dance with _Ecl_.”  Kel frowns slightly.

“You assume that because you are _mana’Ecl_ she will be able to do the same?  You presume much, Lady.”

“The _mana’Ecl_ were all closely related in the old days.  The gift was passed from parent to child more often than not.”  She says dismissively.  I frown deeply.  This is becoming too much, how they keep switching languages.  Maybe I should try to become more fluent in the old language, if only to understand conversations like these fully.

“If you ladies will excuse me.  I need to speak with my brother.”  I nod slightly to the two falcons and leave the room.

“Brother?”

“He speaks of the Diente.  They are as close as siblings.”

. . .

I make my way to the market, where an oddly bold avian lady catches my hand.  I blink in surprise at the touch, not used to an avian so blatantly touching someone, much less a serpiente like me.

“Where is your pair bond?  You are so rarely here as it is, but the two of you are rarely apart I’ve noticed.”

“She is with child and fatigued from certain…adjustments her body is making to accommodate.”  She nods slowly.

“Congratulations then.”  She pauses, then seems to realize that she is touching me.  She recoils and hides behind her avian reserve.  It unnerves me, but I remain careful not to show it.  “I’m sorry if I was rude, Sir.”  I pause, trying to think of any way she had been rude, but then I remember that she’s an avian.

“Not at all.  As I’m sure you’re aware, it’s unusual not to speak to someone without physical contact in the serpiente market.”  She nods slowly.

“Right.  Of course.  Have a good day, Sir.  And convey my well wishes to your pair bond.”  I nod once and she hurries off.  I wander through the market, looking at the various shops set up to sell familiar items.  The only difference I can see from this market and the one I grew up in is that there is no dancing, and no casual touching.

“Excuse me.”  A polite voice says behind me.  I turn to face the speaker and recognize one of the storytellers that occasionally appears in the serpiente market to hear the old stories and observe the dancing.

“Yes?”

“I’m surprised to see you without your mate, Matthew.”  He says casually.  I nod slightly.

“She’s not feeling well.  Where is your pair bond…Ashley you said her name was?”

“She is with her sister at her jewelry shop.  They were both—some others of those who enjoy hearing old stories but have been too frightened to wander into serpiente lands as well—wondering if you would be willing to enlighten us with a tale.”  I smile and nod, putting a hand on the crow’s shoulder.  He returns the gesture of friendship and guides me to the shop.

“What would you like to hear?”

“I have heard from my Alistair that your people were once allied with the falcons.”  I pause.

“The Dasi, yes.  Of the thirteen members of the original coven of the Dasi, four of them were the falcons.”  I start relaying the story of the beginnings of my kind—the story of the Namir-da.  When I reach the part of Maeve’s seduction of Leben, the shriek of a falcon sounds above the market and I break off mid-sentence.  An open area quickly clears in the center of the market as five peregrine falcons circle and dive, shifting to their human forms as soon as they land.

I turn.  “If you’ll excuse me.  I’ll tell you the rest later, if you’d like.”  They all nod, clearly intrigued by the story, and I hurry to join Zane and Danica in the center of the market to welcome the falcons.  My worst fears are realized when I recognize some of Lorena’s features in one of the falcons.  Her sister, Araceli.

The blue in her hair isn’t as dark as Lorena’s, which I assume means that she is either stronger or weaker than her sister in magic.  I hope she is weaker.  Lorena is formidable, just being in the same room with her when she is all but breathing power is terrible.  Araceli certainly looks as formidable as her sister, dressed in the same manner with a low backed ivory shirt and boots laced to her thighs over black slacks and gauntlets that look like they’re made of the snakeskin of a Burmese Python.  The dagger at her hip seems unnecessary considering her obvious confidence.

“What urgent business brings the Lady Araceli and her Mercy to the Hawk’s Keep?”  I can tell that Zane is trying to keep his voice even, though he’s clearly shocked and angry.

“Cobra, do you claim this palace as yours now?”  Zane bristles angrily at the falcon’s harsh words.  Danica steps forward, calm, but obviously tense.

“I am Tuuli Thea here.  Zane Cobriana is my Alistair, and I am sure you are aware of that.  If you are still seeking your lost falcon, Syfka must have told you—”

“Syfka told me many things.”  Araceli interrupts her.  “And none of them convinced me that she tried very hard.  I want my falcon returned.  The aplomado has failed in finding him, and while she faces the Empress’ tender mercy, I’m forced to go after the brat myself.”  I frown at her words, my eyes narrowing.  Andreios is far from a brat.  But then again, to a falcon of her age, that’s probably the only way she can think of him.

Danica catches Zane’s hand, calming him.  A light hand on my shoulder startles me, but I recognize the extreme heat of Lorena and I force myself to relax.  Araceli glares at her sister.  “It’s a pity you aren’t still.”  She murmurs.  “You might actually remember some of Anhamirak’s magic if you stop slaughtering each other for long enough.  Still, I see no reason to hurry you back into war; you’ll manage it on your own in time.  Now, my falcon?”

“We don’t know who you’re looking for.”  Zane says calmly.  I wish I could be so honest.

 _‘Remain calm.  She will not be able to hear any of your thoughts while I am present.’_   I suppress a shudder as Lorena whispers in my mind, but somehow manage.  Araceli sighs and glances at her guard.

“You sense him here, too?”

“Well shielded, but yes.  Higher.”  He nods.

“Excellent.”  She takes a breath as though about to sigh, but lets out a piercing call that any creature could recognize—the hunting call of a peregrine falcon.  Only Lorena’s calm hand on my shoulder keeps me from jumping in surprise.  “If my falcon is not standing before me in the next two minutes, I will take this Keep down stone by stone and timber by timber, slaughtering those inside until I find the right one.  I suggest you spread the word.”

“Araceli—”  Danica starts.

“You had better hope he’s loyal to you.  Otherwise he might just leave.”

“Araceli, you can’t intend—”

“I never make a threat I don’t intend to keep, cobra.  Though, honestly, I don’t think it will be necessary.  He will come.”

 _‘Rei, where are you?’_   Lorena frowns beside me.

 _‘She is telling the truth…she is bound by Ahnmik’s magic so cannot…I hope Andreios will arrive before my sister makes good her threat.’_   Kel appears as several avians shift and flee or spread word of the threat.

“My graceful Lady aona’la’Araceli—”

“You are not the falcon I seek.  You have received your sentence, and Cjarsa has supported it despite my protests.  Now take your leave of me.  Even this face is tainted by your stolen form.”  Kel recoils, but collects herself and stands at attention beside Zane.

“My graceful Lady Araceli, heir to she who shines in beauty and power, loyalty forces me to inform you that I have sworn myself to Danica Shardae and her mate, and that if you attempt this fight, I will defend this Keep and those within it with my life.”

“And you will die, little girl.”  Araceli says, barely lifting an eyebrow.

“And will I, heir to the kingdom of moon and mountain?”  Finally.  I recognize Rei’s voice, but see the shock and tension in both Danica and Zane.  I see Danica pale and Zane step closer to her, but all I can feel is relief.  If she drags him back to Ahnmik, we’ll find some way to convince the rest of the nest to believe that we can bring him back simply because he is a dancer.

Beside me, Lorena sighs tiredly.  “I’m here.  You knew I would be.  I too swore loyalty to the Tuuli Thea; you know I did so years ago.  I’m sworn to Alasdair’s heir, I’m sworn to the descendent of Kiesha and I’m sworn to their people.  I never swore to you.  So will you take me home to our Empress’ mercy?  To her torture?”  Kel’s breath hitches and she turns to Rei.

“Rei, careful—”

“Speak not of your Empress that way, nestling.”  Araceli is clearly enraged.

“I’m no nestling.  I may be young compared to some, but I am no child.”  Rei sighs.

“Impertinent—”  Araceli steps forward, hand rising as if to strike the crow.  I almost shrug Lorena’s hand off and move to his aid.  “You’re coming back to Ahnmik.  Now.”  She says after halting and swallowing tightly.

“Milady, you know I will not endanger my people, and I know you will not hesitate to use that to coerce me.  So I can only ask you—beg you, if that is what you wish—to allow me to stay.  You sent me here when I was still a child.  You made no attempt to bring me home when I refused to answer your summons.  I hardly remember my falcon form, hardly remember my magics—”

“You’re royal blood, Sebastian.  You’ll remember, when the need arises, and we cannot allow rogue falcons of your strength to wander outside our control.”  That makes me seethe with rage.  Just because he’s her son doesn’t give her the right to act like that!

“When the need arises?  Milady, if I had any shred of power, do you think I would have let my queen to fall to Syfka’s tests?  Do you think I would have let her bleed while I—”

“Enough.”  Too enraged to be rational, I turn and leave the market.  Lorena follows me as I go up the stairs to the rooms.

“Matthew, do you think that was wise?”

“Yes.  I am a leader of the nest and she is threatening one of my dancers!  I trust your word, but I do not trust your _sister_ to hold any oaths true when there is no written proof in my hand!”  I take a shaky breath, trying to calm myself.  “If I had stayed and listened further, I would have gotten myself killed.  What good would I be to my Diente and Naga and my mate and my child dead?”

I hear a hawk’s shriek and hurry to a place where I can see down into the market.  Danica runs at Araceli and gets knocked back.  I almost run back down to help her, but Lorena holds me back.

“You would be of no help.  Araceli is enraged and murderous.  Her magic is strong, and no one will be able to help your Naga.  Nothing but a Snakecharm will save her from my sister now.”  I nod slowly.

“Then it’s a good thing she wears one.”

“She is a dancer?”

“A well respected member of the guild.  And very talented.”  Lorena smiles suddenly.

“I knew there was much about the girl that was like Alasdair, but this is incredible.”  I blink.

“Alasdair danced?”  I find it hard to imagine any hawk before Danica dancing.  Suddenly, six peregrine falcons fly out of the market.  After a few moments, I hear wings flutter and another peregrine shoots off after them.  “What is Kel doing!?”

“Going after them.  _A’le-Anleh_ she’ll be killed.”  I turn.

“Is it safe to move Kiara while she is riding the void?”

“Yes…why?”

“I need to go back to the nest and start finding some way to convince the rest of the nest that we have the ability to get Rei back…and Kel.  I don’t want to leave Kia here where she may wake up alone.”  Lorena nods.

“I can easily carry the both of you back to sha’Mehay.”  I go to the rooms and Lorena gently picks up Kiara from the floor.  I shift and she picks me up before blasting through the balcony doors on her powerful gyrfalcon wings.  All too quickly, we land in front of the nest and I shift.  A path clears at the sight of the falcon in her demi-form carrying Kiara into the nest.

I deter any questions with a look at each individual dancer and go downstairs to open a door for Lorena.  She puts Kiara down on the bed in the room and turns to me.  “When she wakes, I will know it.  For now, you should go reassure your dancers.”

“It will also reassure them if you hid your wings.”

“I forget it is no longer normal in these lands to walk about with wings showing.  This form is as natural and familiar to me as you are familiar with not wearing your scales.”  She hides her wings, nonetheless, and steps out of the room.  I pause, looking worriedly at Kiara, and go back upstairs with her.  How long can I go without saying the real reason for her slumber?

The moment I get upstairs, I’m accosted by gossips wondering what is wrong with Kiara.  I reassure them saying that she’s just fatigued and resting.  Valene runs over to me and I sigh.

“What happened?”  I shake my head a little and sit at the fire.  I hate to think what is conspiring at the Keep at the moment, and I need a moment to breathe in the warm, familiar air of the Nest before I can actually say anything to the effect of what happened.  Thankfully, Valene honors my silent request for a moment and waits for me to speak.

“The falcons…found their people.”  I say the words slowly, reluctant to admit the defeat that I’m feeling.  A’isha sits beside me, having heard my admission.

“Who?”

“Syfka organized a…‘test’ to out the falcon.  Erica Silvermead revealed herself, while saving Danica’s and her daughter’s lives…”

“Oh, gods.”  Valene drops her head into her hands.  “Is Kel…they took Kel back?”

“She wasn’t the one they were looking for.  Syfka would have left her here, but she went after them, when Araceli took Andreios.”  A’isha cries out, her face paling.  I touch her shoulder and can see her pain in the eyes of several other dancers.

“What was he accused of?”

“It doesn’t matter.”  A’isha says loudly.  “He was one of ours, a dancer in this nest.  I won’t see him slandered, even by the falcon Empress.”  She looks to me.  “Do you know a way to get him back?”

“Lorena says there is.  Because we are a nest, and he is one of ours.”  I pause.  “But I feel that we will have to find some form of written vow to hold the falcons to before we can get him back.  And Kel…”  I look apologetically at Valene.  “I’m not sure of a way to get her back…”

“Maybe there will be something in the old writings.  Between the four of us—you’ll help won’t you, Lorena?”

“Yes, of course.  I was once a dancer in the Rsh, the original nest of the Dasi.  I fancy myself still one of your kin, though I bear the feathers of a gyrfalcon rather than the scales of a serpent.”  A’isha smiles wryly.

“A royal falcon then?”

“The very sister of the woman who stole away your dancer.”  She says with a light smile.  “I will help to translate your old writings.”

“Welcome.”  A’isha and I both stand, clearly hopeful and determined.  We both turn to command the members of the nest to go and gather up every ancient text we have at our disposal in both the nest and in the palace and I suddenly wish that Kiara would wake immediately.  Her knowledge of the old language—sudden as it is—will help immensely here.

. . .

About mid-morning, Zane and Danica arrive.  They seem shocked to see no dancing and hear no music as the entire nest is pouring over old texts in an effort to translate and find some way of helping.

“I need to speak with A’isha, Valene, Matthew, and Kiara.”  Valene and I both rise from the text we were just translating together and a dancer goes downstairs to fetch A’isha—she had been checking in on Kiara for me.  She quickly emerges and we go to join our rulers.  “Where’s Kiara?”

“Sleeping.”  I sigh.

“Not sleeping.  She’s riding the _Ecl_ , learning to control her magic.”  At confused looks, I shake my head.  “I’ll explain later.”

“What on earth is going on in here?”  I sigh.

“You two can give more detail than I.  I’ll go see if Lorena’s found anything.”  I hurry over to sit beside Lorena and she frowns.

“It’s a wonder these got preserved…I had thought all of our writings had burned in the Rookery fire…”  I barely understand her mutterings in the old language and sigh.  “Sorry.  Most of the writings I’ve read are embellished with mythical fancies…but many are accurate.  It will take time for any of us to find what we are looking for.  And I know for a fact that my mother wrote an oath concerning the Rsh before Maeve drove the murderous followers of Ahnmik out of these lands…”

“Would it have burned?”  She shakes her head at the fear in my voice.

“No.  None of my mother’s writings were kept in the Rookery.  They were all hidden in the temple of _Ecl_ , where Servos and I kept records and watched the fallen.”  She sighs at the memory.  “Those were much better times…for all of us.  I hope we may see days similar to those in the years to come.”

. . .

By sunset, Zane and Danica have both—however uselessly—helped with the hunt for the document, after I explained to them about Lorena’s statement and the fact that we’ll need proof of the oath to have any sway.

“Well, I feel useless.”  Danica sighs, watching as Zane and I pour over texts.

“I’m not doing much better.”  Zane admits.  “I studied the old language when I was younger—every cobra does—but only enough to have the barest understanding.  All this is written using more complex forms, and many of the symbols seem to have been either embellished or abbreviated.  _This_ squiggle, for instance, is completely meaningless to me.”  Valene shifts to look over his shoulder.

“ _Lar_.  I think.  _She’maen’ne’lar_.  Or—wait, I see it.  Someone copied the breaks wrong.  _She’maen’nelar_.”  Danica blinks, rolling onto her back and yawning.

“Valene, I’m suddenly even more impressed with you than I ever was.”

“On Ahnmik, it’s traditional to fill the space around the letters with further signs that complement the writing.”  Lorena says lightly, joining us with a scroll in one hand and a roll in the other.

“I think a few of these were copied from writings like that, which means it’s very likely mistakes were made.  I’ve been reading one where half the marks don’t resemble any symbol I’ve ever seen in my life.”  Valene sighs.

“I found a description of Queen Alasdair.”  A’isha calls.  “Whoever copied it made a note that the first draft was attributed to Kiesha.”  Danica brightens and moves over to A’isha.  I look up from the text I was reading to listen.

“What does it say?”

“ _Mana’o’saerre’la’Alasdair_ …the hawk queen, Alasdair… _rai’maen’ferat’jaes’girian_ …golden lady…hmm…Valene?”  The raven takes over, sliding the page away from A’isha.

“The hawk queen, Alasdair—”

“Is both a golden lady and a young girl, with too much power for her years.  She is serene, but there is a sadness in her eyes I cannot speak to.  She is the same age as my son, and I pity her for never sharing his freedom to be a child.”  Lorena cuts in, not even looking at the page.  We all blink in surprise at the falcon.

“The serpiente were only in Alasdair’s city for a single night.”  Danica says softly.  “How could words like those have been written just hours before the avian-serpiente war began?”

“They were not.  We knew Ala and her people for two years before the war began.”  Lorena says in a daze.  “Kiesha and Maeve shared the opinion of the hawk, though Maeve was no longer considered one of us.  All of us shared the opinion of her.  Kiesha wrote that in her own hand and I personally made a copy of it that stayed in the temple of _Ecl_ …may I see it?”

Valene hands the page to her.  “Yes…this is the very copy that I wrote…my writings were once considered a jewel among the Dasi…if you read along the decorations, you can see things I added, notes on the events and passings…”  She trails off, then shakes her head as though to clear it of a memory.

“Lorena?”

“It’s nothing.  We should continue searching for my mother’s oath.”


	8. Awakening

“Zane!  Danica!”  A’isha and Valene cry excitedly, waking me.  I blink and realize I fell asleep trying to translate a particularly complex page of writing.  Lorena sits bolt upright beside me and dashes for the lower rooms.  Her haste can only mean…Kiara!  I jump up and run after her, slamming into Kiara’s room.

“Kiara, child, come back to us.  Remember, child.  Remember Mehay.”  Lorena whispers to her still form, grasping her hand.  “Do not fear the void, do not recoil into it.  Come to me, child.  Remember.”  She chants in the old language and I lean on the wall.

“What’s wrong?”

“She is falling.  A _sakkri_ the void showed her has frightened her away from life.”  She answers in a language I understand better and returns to her chant.  She looks at me after a moment.  “Come over here and help me.”  I pause.

“What can I do to help?”  She frowns.

“Touch her.  The child she carries…her magic will reach out at the touch of another _Isadora’ra_.”  I nod slowly, not really understanding more than my mate needs me.  I join Lorena and put a hand on Kiara’s shoulder.  Her face looks serene…like she’ll wake any second.

. . .

Hours pass and it seems like forever.  I can almost feel the seconds tick by as Lorena reaches out to Kiara with magic, trying to draw her out of the void.  The door opens, seeming slow, but probably just as quickly opened as I had opened it earlier.

“Valene has gone to Ahnmik to address Cjarsa.”  A’isha says lightly.  Lorena is lost for an answer, riding the void to retrieve Kiara.

“So you found the oath?”  She nods.

“And some other interesting things.  Evidence of Lorena’s mentioning of two years of the two kingdoms knowing each other in peace.  Zane and Danica have gone to the palace to find Irene and speak with her.  I decided that after _four_ hours without a word to anyone and such a stifling air near the stairs someone should check on you.  I was the only one brave enough to enter, fearing the wrath of a falcon.”  I sigh.

“I would move, but Lorena has bound my hand to Kiara’s shoulder.  I couldn’t move from this spot if I wanted—and I don’t.”  A’isha laughs slightly.

“What in the name of the gods are you three doing down here, anyways?”

“Kia…she fell earlier.  Lorena is trying to bring her back.”  At her quizzical look, I shake my head.  “I know less about falcon magic than you.  It makes no sense to me.  From what I understand, though, Kiara is trying to ride the void; to protect herself from falling into it without a way back if her magic over powers her.”  I pause.

Lorena whispers through my mind and I repeat her words.  “The magic of Ahnmik is…based around stillness and calm.”  I pause, struggling to translate as Lorena slips into the old language in her concentration.  “Those who cannot control the…magic in their blood…will fall into the void when the magic becomes…too strong for them.  _Ecl_ will…show her fallen visions that will push them farther into the void and make them forget…who they were.”

She relaxes and speaks understandably.  “Kiara is falcon blood and her magic awakened so abruptly that she had no time to be prepared for it, much less have a chance to keep it from harming anyone else—including herself.  The quickest way for a falcon—especially a child of one of the _mana’Ecl_ —to learn to control their magic is to learn to dance with the void without losing themselves.  Many fall, more than once, but all wake if they went in willingly and without demands of the void.”  I glance at my mate warily.  “Which she did…”

“Okay…”  A’isha shakes her head a little.  “Well then…I will let you know if anything develops, and I expect you to do the same.”  I nod and she leaves the room.  Moments after the door closes, Lorena’s eyes snap open.

“Well?”

“She is back to herself…but she doesn’t feel she is ready.”  She shakes her head.  “The foolish girl is stubborn as I was…”  At my confusion, she explains.  “When I first rode the _Ecl_ as a girl.  I was…seventeen when Maeve seduced Leben and betrayed her mate Kiesha…and we received our magic.  Servos and I both went to dance with the void at the same time.  We went together.  We…had been lovers before Leben’s magic tore us apart.”

She shakes her head.  “Servos left the void before I fell.  He was satisfied that he would not fear the void and be able to come and go from it as he pleased.  I fell to a _sakkri_ of the future, when the war started.  The pain of it drove me to recoil into the void to avoid the pain and I nearly lost myself.  Servos brought me back, but I refused stubbornly to leave the void.  While he had left when he was satisfied that he would only be able to keep himself as he came and went.”

She sighs quietly, remembering.  “I was determined to know every movement of the void’s empty dance and every dark secret she held.  That is why my hair is so dark in the front.  Ahnmik’s magic marks our hair and eyes, but it is well known on the island that my eyes shine the darkest and my hair is the darkest of any falcon—even among the _mana’Ecl_ who rode the dark waves of the void.”  She pauses, watching Kiara.  I blink in surprise.

Her features become slowly more similar to Lorena’s, making the relation obvious.  Her hair lightens from dark brown to the pale gold that’s been creeping into her hair over the past couple of years.  Her bangs become stained the color of pale blue opal and I wonder if…when she opens her eyes, they will be the same silver as Lorena’s or if they will remain the beautiful chocolate brown I love.

“What…?”

“She will never look pure falcon…and her falcon wings are lost to her because of how young she was when I gave her to the sparrow.”  She pauses.  “This is likely the closest her magic will be able to make her to what she would have been if she had grown up a falcon.  No doubt, her eyes will flash silver occasionally, but I doubt they will remain that color.”

“Why is it doing that to her though?”

“Her magic is creeping through her body, awakening.  As you can see, the greatest difference will be her hair.  Though it will never be the color it really should be.  Milk white, like mine.”  Lorena looks at me and smiles at my clear lack of understanding.  “Her magic is making her body familiar to itself.  She has spent so long influenced by the magic of Anhamirak in her life that the magic of Ahnmik is changing her, trying to bend away that influence.  Though…I hope that the influence of Anhamirak’s magic in her body will influence the magic of your daughter to be stable.  _Quemak_ as they are called on the island…children born of mixed heritage, have powerful, but unstable magic.  That instability would only be increased as the magics of Ahnmik and Anhamirak danced together in one body.”

“She’s…going to be okay though?”

“Yes.”  She releases the magic binding my hand to Kiara’s shoulder and I massage the sore muscles.  “Go, attend to your duties in the nest and I shall see to the care of my daughter and grandchild.”  I stand and go upstairs.  The sunlight hits me and I cover my face at the brightness.

“He emerges!  What news of Sparrow?”

“She is fine.  Lorena doesn’t expect her to wake soon, but she is determined that she will.”  I smile wryly.  “Our little sparrow is being determined as ever to learn everything she can in one go.”  I pause.  “Though…I suppose I should say she’s a falcon…”  A’isha immediately is beside me and she touches my arms.

“Will she change?”

“You haven’t seen the changes the magic made to her…she looks the same…but not.”  I shake my head and A’isha shakes her head a little.

“You need to relax.  Perhaps a dance?”  I nod dumbly and she tugs me to a dais.  The flutist starts playing and we step into a gay dance of celebration too upbeat for my worries and depression at the prospect of so many sudden changes to last long.

. . .

Things go back to normal in the nest after the discovery of Cjarsa’s oath, and I go to the market for some fresh air.  Word is circulating around about a ‘Wyvern’s Court’ and I pause, surprised.  The words are being said by a dancer so I assume that it was discussed while I was with Kiara.  I spot the group of avians I was speaking to yesterday and smile at them, crossing the market to join them.

“We’ve come to hear the rest of your story, Matthew.”  Ashley says hesitantly and I notice her looking around the market warily.

“These dances are beautiful…”  Her sister remarks, watching a dancer in admiration.

“Would you like to learn?”  I offer, extending a hand to her without thinking.  She blushes and nods a little.

“So long as I don’t have to wear anything…unseemly.”

“Of course not.  Our Naga dresses in beautifully modest costume when she dances for the nest.”  She takes my hand slowly and I can tell she’s nervous.  “You dance with the wind every day.  This is no different.”  I gently pull her to the side and lead her in a few steps of a simple _sakkri_.  She awkwardly follows my steps, but soon catches at least the tempo.  To distract her from her worry, I continue the story of the Namir-da to the group that was with them.

By the time I finish the story; Ashley’s sister has successfully learned the dance and is blushing furiously.  She’s probably embarrassed by some of the steps of the dance.  Not surprising, as dance is so much more expressive than life in the avian court.

. . .

By the time Zane and Danica return from the Hawk’s Keep after discussing their idea of the Wyvern’s court to Nacola, the group of avians that I’ve been telling stories to the past few days have moved into the nest, learning to dance and listening to the stories and studies of the dancers.  Lorena emerges from the lower levels and I hurry to her side, much to the dismay of my new students.

“She is fine.  I spoke with her.  She is still refusing to leave the _Ecl_ in favor of learning more.”  She sighs, then blinks at the group of avians.  “Well…the things I emerge into…it’s almost like being back with the Nesera’rsh…”

“There have been wonderings if you would dance for us.”  I say lightly, laughing a little at her reaction.  She smiles and steps toward the dais.

“I will be careful not to use magic, but…for a falcon, magic is as natural as breathing.  I can control it, if I do not manage to keep the magic from flowing.”  I nod and she steps up.  A flutist starts to play and she holds up a hand.  “Please.”  She opens her mouth and sings a wordless melody unlike any instrument I’ve ever heard.  She dances beautifully and the entire nest watches her, rapt.

A’isha soon arrives with Zane and Danica and an avian artist, along with Tadeo the raven.  They stare in blank surprise at the sight of the falcon dancing to her own music.  She ends her dance and steps down.  “Welcome back.  I see your friend Fisk Falchion disappeared, Matthew.”  I look back at the group of my new students to see the merchant gone.

“He went to the Keep to find architects and artists and scholars interested in helping us…you missed the conversation.”

“I’ve figured out enough from gossip and word around the market.  Though…this morning we’ve picked up a few guests.”  I indicate the group of avians avidly studying with dancers and Ashley and her sister trying to learn to dance.  They picked up right where they stopped the moment the music of Lorena’s dance ended.  I soon join Zane, Danica and A’isha in discussing which serpiente should be asked to join in the plans.

By afternoon, the crowd of avians and serpiente around the fire grows and plans start on the new court.  Tadeo takes charge, separating people into groups to work on different areas of the court where they hold the most talent and knowledge.  In the course of the day, A’isha and I also earn some new students with feathers.

By nightfall, many of the avians return to their homes, but others join awkwardly in the final stretches and dances of the dancers before collapsing where they stand.  I excuse myself to go and sit with Kiara.  I know there’s not much I can do if my mate is being stubborn, but I just want to be with her.  The blue staining her hair is slowly darkening.  The longer she spends in the void, learning its mysteries and secrets, the darker that blue will get.


	9. Returned

Over the course of the fortnight following the sudden shift in plans for the future of the two courts, the dream that Danica and Zane have of a combined court flourishes.  The nest is cluttered with notes, charts, diagrams, and drawings of designs.  Tadeo continues as leader to the group of planners, measuring the valley selected for the court and marking locations of various places.

Lorena walks around the valley with a certain…sorrow.  I frown and approach her as she stands in the center of the valley, gazing at the cliff as though she’s seeing something that isn’t there.

“Lorena?”  She jolts and blinks at me.

“Sorry.  I’m sure that Tadeo is speaking with Zane and Danica of the fountain.  There are three springs on the cliff.  Once, there was an elegant fountain that connected the three springs and flowed to a pool on the main floor, where during festivals and celebrations, the colored lights of winged dancers weaving magic would reflect off the water and shine rainbow colors almost more beautiful than the magical lights of the White City of Ahnmik.”  She pauses.

Then she points at the cliff.  “There was a building there; it was built into the cliff wall all along it.  It was open where the fountain ran through it, and playful children would slide along the slippery granite floors when their parents weren’t looking.  Kiesha’s son goaded Alasdair into slipping and sliding along them one day.  It was the most amazing sight, to see my young hawk friend so playful for once.

“There was…a separate city—where the Hawk’s Keep stands today—where many of Ala’s subjects lived and worked.  This was the joint market…where celebrations and the largest number of merchants and scholars were.  Kiesha kept a city where the palace stands today.  And the nests…oh the nests.  There were four nests total of the Nesera’rsh.  Two occupied this place; one was in the avian city, and the other in the serpiente city.”

Suddenly, the falcon looks at me as though she is really looking at me.  “We should return to sha’Mehay.  Would you like me to fly you?”  I nod slightly.  I don’t have a horse here.  And I’ve grown to enjoy flight.  So, we both shift and Lorena carries me out over the trees to the nest.  We shift as we land and step inside to an argument.

“Compromise may also mean letting unattached ladies and gentlemen make their own decisions and mistakes.”  Zane is saying to diffuse the situation.  I feel a little lost, not knowing what caused the disruption, but I recognize Lincon and see the plans for the market, where the dancers have clearly been discussing with the artists on placing daises around the market.  “We come from different worlds, but each has so much to teach the other.  There will be moments of dissonance, when people struggle to understand each other’s ways, but once we get past our misconceptions, imagine the reward.”

He continues without pause at Lincon’s expression.  “The dancers _will_ perform in the market of Wyvern’s Court; they will be beside avian poets, singers, philosophers and storytellers or we cannot hope to succeed.  Merchants will haggle prices and barter goods as they have in both our markets throughout history.  Scholars will work to impart their valuable knowledge to their students.  Artists will create beauty.  And our children will grow up together, playing the same games, taught by the same teachers, _living_ side by side until as adults, I pray, they laugh at the petty arguments we had in this nest while we designed their world.”  Someone shifts behind me and I turn to see Valene enter, swaying.

“And ravens will dance, and serpents will fight for the lives of falcons.”  All eyes turn to the exhausted raven, her face pale and shining with sweat.

“Valene are you all right?”  Danica darts past Zane to take Valene’s arm and lead her inside.  She nods.

“It is…a long flight.  I just need to rest.  I spoke to Empress Cjarsa.  She said she would consider my words; then she sent me home…I don’t know what she will do.”

“Thank you.”

“I heard you speaking when I came in.”  She looks at Zane.  “Is this a dream?”

“This is real.”  He assures her.

“I thought I might have fallen asleep already.”

“That might be a good idea.  You’re shaking with exhaustion.  Let me help you downstairs, so you can rest.  You have done much for us.”  A’isha says lightly.  She glances at me and Lorena.  “Fortunately, the heaviness of falcon magic has lifted in the last few weeks.”  Lorena and I go to Kiara’s room—as has become our ritual after she takes me around to places in the lands that she recalls from before the war—while Zane, Danica, and A’isha take Valene to another.

Kiara shifts when we enter and I stare in surprise.  She sits up and smiles wryly at us, her hair faded almost darker than Lorena’s at the front.  I run to her side and she hugs me.

“I’m sorry to have worried you, Matt.”  She says, holding me close.  “But I’m fine.  Better than fine even…I feel wonderful.  I only know bits of the present…what happened while I was gone?”  Lorena explains quickly in the old language what has passed in the time she was gone.  “A whole fortnight…?  I had thought days…but a whole…everyone must be wondering if I’ve died!”  She pauses, suddenly realizing she spoke in the old language.  “Sorry…the void sings only in the tongue of the Dasi…I suppose I got used to answering the same.”

“It’s okay.  With Lorena’s help, I’ve learned more of the language.”  I say wryly in the old language, leaving her surprised.

“Well…I’ve missed too much.  I think it’s high time I make it known to the nest that I am fully recovered.  Did you…tell them?”  I nod once and she stands up.  I step away from her as she makes her way to the mirror to straighten herself up, fixing her braid and frowning at the change in the color of her hair and the change in her features.  “It will take a while for me to get used to my reflection…at least my eyes are the same.”  She then steps to the door and steps out into the hall.

She breathes deeply and goes up to the nest.  Lorena and I follow her quickly and we all gasp at the sight at the fire.  “Kel?”

“You’re back!”  She smiles through shoveling mass amounts of food into her mouth and guzzling water.

“Good to see you’re awake…Kia…?”  She nods and sits down, plucking a roll from a nearby basket.  She takes a bite and then starts eating and drinking as ravenously as Kel.  Both only slow when presented with a cup each of hot tea.

“Feathered Hades, girls, when did you last _eat_?”  Tadeo gawks.  Some almost hustle him out of the nest, but both falcons smile a little—Kel, wearily.

“Before I left the Keep.”  Kel answers.

“Before Danica and Zane left for the Keep while Syfka was still here.”  Kiara answers just as easily.  Both of them sound dry, and both sip at their tea.

“It’s been weeks.”  Zane protests, clearly examining the two for signs of starvation.

“When I was four years old, I stood in the Ahnmik courtyard for a fortnight, not moving, drinking or eating, just focusing on my magic.  The test is one that all falcon children must take, to see whether they have the power to be—oh, but you don’t care; it doesn’t matter now.  That world is gone to me and good riddance.”

“One can survive for centuries dancing with the void.”  Kiara says simply.

“How good it is to be here.”  Kel sighs, having emptied her cup.  A small sound draws our attention to the entrance of a much bedraggled Andreios leaning on the door frame leading downstairs.  He’s gripping it like he’s as starved for warmth and comfort as the girls were for food.

Zane offers him his hand, clearly too grateful for his presence to speak.  It’s good to have both of them back safely.  Rei pauses for a moment, as if unsure what Zane’s hand means, but he takes it and makes it with near grace to the fireside.  He immediately puts away more food that any person should be able to eat healthily.

He pauses occasionally, lifting his eyes to stare in disbelief at something—sometimes Danica, or Zane, or Kiara, but mostly Kel.  He only tries to speak after the food is gone.

“You came after me?”  She nods.  “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”  She says softly.  “You are needed here.”

“My mother was not happy to part with me.”

“No, she wasn’t.”  For a while, it becomes silent, no one daring to ask the two falcons what they endured on Ahnmik.

“How?”  Danica finally asks.

“We were together in the Keep’s library with Kiara and her Alistair Leon when you heard that Andreios was gone.  Remember I tried to stop you from going after him.  Leon tried as well with Kiara.  I followed you, to keep you safe, but I was too slow.  One of the serpiente struck you, Danica, across the head, while another killed Leon, inches away from killing Kiara with the same arrow.  Another bit your Andreios.  I fought them off, but you were unconscious, Kiara in shock, and Andreios poisoned.  I tried to force-change him, but…”  We all know the result of that.  “It was too late, or I wasn’t strong enough.  I had just enough energy to bring the two of you home, and then I collapsed.  I had taken too much of the poison from Rei trying to save him; it nearly killed me.  It was days before I was fully awake, and then I was locked in Andreios’ form for days before I regained my strength.”  He takes a long sip of his water, looking to Kel to continue.

“He had already disobeyed a direct order to return, insisting instead that he wanted to swear his loyalty to a different queen.  For most falcons, that would have been enough to merit death.  No one would dare execute Araceli’s only child, even for treason, but then he stole a crow’s form.  It is one thing for a guard to acquire another form in the service of their Empress, as sometimes happens, but quite another to sully the royal house.  It took them years to come searching for him because it took Araceli that long to convince the Empress that he should still be considered a falcon, and not put to death as a mongrel.”

“I knew I could not go home, and I was terrified that you would force me away if I told you what had happened.”  He looks to Danica, his expression pleading.  “I swore my life and my loyalty to you, to protect you no matter the cost, no matter the situation.  I stayed as Andreios first because I was frightened not to be him, but later because he gave me an identity.  I could not save him, but he could save me.”  Danica brushes her fingers across his cheek.

“You are Rei.  To me, you will always be Rei.”  She shakes her head.  “I understand.  I forgive you.”

“Thank you, Dani.”  She smiles at the nickname and Zane pauses.

“What now?”

“They hold no claim to either of us now.  Our magic is bound.  Our falcon forms are bound.  I have my sparrow and Rei has his crow, and we have the forms you see now, but that is all.”  Kel says defiantly.

“Just mortals now.”  Rei whispers.  “The Empress had her Mercy take from Kel what she had learned that threatened the island.”  Kel touches her left wrist briefly.

“The Mercy works in pairs; if one strays, her partner reprimands her.  The Empress broke the bond, and she took the memories…”  She pauses.  “To protect Ahnmik, and to protect…I don’t know.”  She drops her head, putting it in her hands for a moment.  “I don’t know.  ‘Just mortals now’.”  Rei stands and puts his arms around her.

“Thank the sky, just mortals now.”  Kel laughs a little, but it sounds bitter.  I don’t want to know what memories she and Rei share of their time on the island.

“A finer mortal I’ve never known.”  She looks to Danica.  “I suppose my stint as leader of the Royal Flight was very short lived?”  Rei shakes his head.

“Take the position.”

“Either way, I won’t have it long.”  She replies.  “I’d like to ask milady’s permission to court an Alistair.”  Danica raises an eyebrow, surprised.  Zane and I both smile at Rei’s shocked expression.

“That’s not exactly the way it’s usually done.”  Danica answers, her tone light enough to say she won’t refuse the request.

“Commonly, I believe an Alistair courts a lady, but I’m tired of waiting for him to pick up on my hints.”  Kel says.  Rei looks more than a little scandalized.

“Of course, Kel.  Though the Royal Flight will miss you and your Alistair.”  Danica answers her request, squeezing Zane’s hand.  Kel immediately turns to Rei, clearly teasing him.

“I believe I can only have a falcon for my Alistair, and since you’re the only male falcon present—”

“No.”  Rei interrupts her, shaking his head.  “This isn’t right at all.  An Alistair is sworn to defend his pair bond, to protect her with his life.”  Why would he disagree when he clearly loves her?

“Is that a problem?”  Kel asks, sounding hurt and small.

“It is when _you_ came after _me_.  So long as we’re altering tradition, I do believe I should be asking you, Kel, to be my Alistair.”  He says wryly.  Kel pauses.

“Faultless logic.  With milady and my lord’s permission,” she glances at Zane and Danica and they both nod encouragingly, “I accept.”  She leans over to kiss her mate and Zane spins Danica to her feet, leading her in a few steps of the Namir-da before just holding her close.  Kiara puts her arm around me and we sit closely as someone in the nest takes up a cheer.  The others take up the cry—avian, serpiente, falcon, scaled or feathered, differences no longer matter tonight.


	10. Born

Lorena, Kiara, and I sit at the top of one of the hills surrounding the valley, watching as the architects and workers start working on the court.  It’s amazing to watch them work so diligently to try and recreate the place that Lorena keeps telling us about.

“They won’t be able to recreate it perfectly…and I think it will be better than before.  We didn’t have a statue in the center of the court, just a large dais like the one in the Synkal.  The market surrounded it and the best of us would dance up there.  Those of us with wings would fly high above the city and dance in the air…it was a sight to behold.”  The falcon sighs wistfully.

“What happened to change that?  If this place was so wonderful…”  Lorena pauses, looking at me with a sort of sad look.

“I don’t think you should know…it was so terrible…that night…I _wish_ I could forget it the way all but the best weavers of _sakkri_ forget their visions.”  She shakes her head.  “You shouldn’t know, and the truth is…too horrible.  The things that happened in this very valley to make the beautiful court where Ala would have raised her wyvern son and hawk daughter…I am very glad that the years have hidden those signs.”  Kiara blinks in surprise.

“Alasdair had a wyvern son?  _And_ a hawk daughter?”  The older falcon nods, her expression belying her age.

“She was ten when she became queen of her people.  We mated much younger back then…Servos and I joined when I was eleven,” she puts in as an example before going on.  “She was eleven when she chose her pair bond, the sparrow son of one of her councilors.  Through him, she was blessed with a daughter.  He was…however…”  She sighs.  “He fell ill shortly after the girl was born, and he died a week later.  Ala was devastated—she had truly loved him, you see—and a viper, the son of Isadora named…”  She laughs a little at the memory, looking at me.  “Matthew was his name.  He was the only person who could get through to her in her grief.  She fell in love with him and took him as her king.  She was thirteen at the time.  And she bore a son just days before the war started.”

She pauses, a tear falling from her eyes as she gazes at the cliff wall.  “He was…the first to be killed.  Not Ala, not Kiesha…but the son of the first Tuuli Thea.  His mother was the second to be killed, stabbed in her sleep with her mate beside her.  She and her mate and children usually slept in the elder nest with the remaining Dasi rather than in the Rookery—what we called the building on the cliff wall—and the rest of the nest were killed along with them.”

“What about her daughter?  Someone had to take the throne after…”

“She lived.  Dani most certainly lived.  She barely remembered the night of slaughter.  Kiesha had heard the assassin slip in and woke the girl as the killer put the knife in Ala.  The cobra had her eldest son take the child hawk, his three year old brother, and his newborn sister to a safe place in the forest.”

“What happened to them?”

“When things calmed down…a few days later, the bedraggled Arami took the hawk that he saw as a niece to her father’s sister…the avian city had survived with little chaos…only a little disorder when the news reached them of the death of their queen, which had been coated already in mystery and confusion.  If Dani’s aunt had not known the cobra prince as well as though he was her own brother, she would not have stopped the guards that had been posted from killing him.  He apologized to the older sparrow and told her what had happened before his mother sent him out of the nest.

“She was relieved that it had not been Kiesha who put the knife in her sister-in-law, but apologized to the boy when she said that what they had been told by the messenger was too believable to the avians who mistrusted the serpiente in the beginning.  He understood and they tried to keep the peace—the sparrow had taken command of the city while she raised Dani.  When the avian warriors stormed the serpiente city without her knowledge and things escalated…the avians managed to kill many of the members of the nest, so the serpiente retaliated by destroying the nest of dancers in the avian city.  Many lives were lost before Dani took the throne at thirteen—when her aunt was killed.

“She had the avian city demolished and rebuilt into the Hawk’s Keep.  She had kept up a friendship with the Diente and advised him to do the same.  To build a place for his people to dwell that would protect them from her hateful people whom she could not control.  She was forever grateful to him for saving her life, and so kept a correspondence with him, despite the advising of her councilors.  Her daughter was raised by different hands, as was already customary for the avians…hands that hated the serpiente and feared that her mother’s love for their hated enemy would get them all killed in their beds.  Orion’s son as well, was raised in the nest with other children, who hated the avians.  Both rulers were killed in their beds by their own children.  Orion’s brother and sister were killed the same night as he was…and the new Tuuli Thea and the new Diente officially declared war between their kingdoms.”

Kiara and I both stare blankly at the wall.  She was right.  We shouldn’t have asked.  But I know that it is something that has eaten at both of us, and many of the people in both kingdoms, for years.  “There.  You know how the war started…for the most part.”

“You didn’t tell us about the days after the slaughter of the nest.”  Kiara points out.

“And I won’t tell you.  Those days were the most painful for us.”

“Us?”

“Dani, Orion, Celia, Delphi, and myself.  Dani and Delphi were the same age and always remembered what happened to them that night…and both cried together for days.  Until they lost their voices in fact…Delphi was mute from then on.  Celia wailed so much we feared that the safety of our little hole would be destroyed.  Orion didn’t speak for days, just rocked his sister to sleep when he could do nothing else for her.  I did what I could for the children, comforting them and taking care of Celia as only a mother could—I had had a daughter the same day Ala gave birth to her son, though my daughter was killed in the nest.”  She shakes her head.  “Enough.  I can’t speak of those days anymore.  It’s too much.”

“Sorry.”  Kiara looks up and I realize that the day has passed us by.  My stomach growls in protest to not having eaten since sunrise.  We all stand and Kiara winces.

“Kia?”

“I’m fine…just…the baby.”  She smiles at me and starts down the hill to have a closer look at everything that’s been done today.  The few workers left in the valley are sitting around a small fire, eating.  We join them and chat about how things are going with the work.

. . .

Today, I’m going with some of the dancers to have a look at the place marked off as designated for our Wyvern’s Nest.  After much arguing, A’isha decided that she’d rather I be in charge of the new nest rather than sha’Mehay shifting hands too drastically.  And, her argument is enough to convince all of the dancers that she’s right and my wish to let her take charge of the new nest while I take care of sha’Mehay.  I cannot argue with the entire nest on the matter.

I still think it’s best for A’isha to take this new nest, because she has the most experience in leadership and knows far better than even I how to run a nest.  A’isha insists that because I will have a wyvern child in the next few days and have an experienced dancer—who was once a member of the Dasi and the original nest of the Nesera’rsh—to guide me, I’m the best one to lead Wyvern’s Nest.  I finally relented yesterday and am about to make sure that there’s enough room and the new nest is designed to the same standards as the nest I grew up in.

“Hey Matthew!  Come look at this!”  I hurry over to the one that just shouted.  Avery, one of the builders.

“What?”

“There’s something engraved here, and we can’t mess with it.  I figured since you can read the old language pretty well…”  I nod and look at the engraving.

“To my daughter and son, may your days in this Wyvern’s Court be blessed and long.  Alasdair.”  I pause and try to brush dirt and things away from the engraving.  Lines swirl with pale color around it and make it hard to touch, but I manage.  “It’s a statue.”  I pull it out and examine it.

“What on earth…?”  A couple are standing on the base of the statue, a young woman and a young man.  The woman is clearly avian, as the wings falling from her shoulders show.  The wings look like a hawk’s wings, and the woman surprisingly looks a lot like Danica.  In her arms is a small child, shifted into a wyvern’s form.  The man is probably serpiente, as he doesn’t have wings, and in his arms is a small girl with hawk wings.  Alasdair and her serpiente mate, with her two children?

I look around to see where it was buried.  Near the location we’re planning to put the nest.  We look back at the sound of wings and then Lorena’s long strides.  She looks winded, which is surprising.

“What’s wrong?”

“Kiara…she’s going into labor.  What is that?”  She grabs the statue from me and her eyes light up.  “Well I’ll be…I never thought I’d see this again.  Where did you find it?”  I indicate the spot I pulled it from and she pauses.  “Ala had…put this by the entrance to the nest…as a blessing for both the nest and her children…”  She shakes her head.  “We need to get back to the nest.”  I nod and she immediately shifts, grabbing the statue with one claw.

I shift and she grabs me, flying me over the forest and to the nest.  We shift before we hit the ground and dash downstairs.  “Kel, how is she?”  I notice Kel sitting beside Kiara with a bucket of water and a rag, wiping sweat from Kiara’s face.

“Fine.  Matthew.”  She looks at me and I stiffen.

“What?”

“Go get A’isha.”  I frown, but go to get her.

“What’s going on down there?  There’s magic barring the way.”  A’isha frowns when I find her.

“Kiara’s about to give birth.  Kel told me to get you.  Though why…I have no idea.”  She smiles a little and shakes her head.

“Matthew…honestly…”  She heads for the lower rooms and when I go to follow her, I get hit in the face with a wall of magic like a door slamming shut in front of me.  I stumble backwards and one of the avian artists nearby catches me.

“No one’s been able to go in without the falcons’ permission since you left for the valley.  And when Lorena flew out of there like a bat from hell, we started to get worried.”  I blink in surprise and sit down.

“Now I know how Galen felt when Salem was born…”  The artist laughs a little.

“It’s very rare for a doctor to let a man into a room while a woman’s giving birth, even if the man is the woman’s Alistair.”  I nod.

“I know.  And I trust the two falcons to take care of her…”

“And it’s also very rare for a man not to be so worried when his pair bond is giving birth and he can do nothing.  Trust me.  I have two children of my own.”  I sigh and he laughs a little.  “I guess you didn’t get much done at the valley?”

“No.  But the dancers know what we’re planning for the nest, so they’ll be fine.”  I pause.  “This is more important to me anyways.”

“You look like you could use a distraction.”  I look at Valene and frown.

“I’m fine.”

“Oh come now.  You can’t just sit there and watch for when they’ll let you in.  You know you want to dance.”  I shake my head.

“I’m fine, right here.”  Valene puts a hand on my shoulder.

“You’ll thank me after a dance.”  She pulls me to my feet and almost drags me to a dais.  When the music starts, I automatically follow the steps.

. . .

The sun is setting and the dancers going around the nest to light things up when Zane and Danica get here.

“We heard that Kiara’s downstairs.”  I run from the dais to meet them.

“She’s been down there all day.  Kel and Lorena won’t let anyone in, especially not me.”  Danica catches her breath and both Zane and I frown.  “You should sit down, Dani.”

“He’s right.  I told you not to rush over here.”  We get her seated and I hear something at the back of the nest.  All eyes turn to the door at the back of the nest.  A’isha steps out, looking tired.  She makes her way over to us and smiles at me.

“I think they’ll let you in now.  It’s over.”  I bolt downstairs and slam into the room.

“Well?”  Kiara rolls her eyes and I see the bundle in her arms.  “Is that…?”

“Our daughter, yes.”  Kel and Lorena leave the room and I cross over to her.

“Oh gods…she’s beautiful.”  I brush my hand on the baby’s cheek and almost cry.

“Mara, sweetheart.  Look, it’s your daddy.”  The girl opens pale silver eyes and blinks at me.  I drop into the chair and look between my mate and my daughter, lost for words.


	11. Building

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thanks for sticking with this for so long. This is the last chapter for this one.

“Lorena, how was the nest before?”  Without responding to my question, she steps into the space we’re planning for our nest.

“It was…large and open.  Similar to sha’Mehay…in that it was built with natural materials.  The back wall was built with nets strung between two large trees…these trees, in fact.”  She touches a tree at the edge and points at another a decent distance away.  “We had a curving stairway that led downstairs…to the private rooms that some of our dancers would occupy if they got sick or had a child.”

She crosses the space, absently picking her way across as though stepping around pillows or bodies scattered around.  “The rest of the four walls were built with nets held aloft by wooden posts carved and decorated to look like tree trunks.  Vines grew on the nets to provide privacy, but during the winter when the vines would die, we would lift walls up from the floor.  These were made of wood as well, and tied at the top to the nets and supporting posts, decorated to accurately portray natural scenery.”  She laughs a little.  “Several times, an avian or serpiente who didn’t spend much time in here would walk right into it without realizing it was a wall.”

Suddenly, she shakes her head and crosses the space carefully again.  “Like in sha’Mehay, we had a large bonfire that burned.  And there was no roof.  The flame kept us warm during the cold nights of fall and winter.  There was no space on the floor uncovered, like your nest.  We had all kinds of rugs and things decorating the floor.  There were raised daises where we would practice and teach our students.”

“Why no roof?”  She blinks at the avian architect that spoke.

“Birds danced in our nest.  With wings spread and soaring high in the sky.”  She says blankly.  She sinks down to sit and gasps when she topples to the floor.

“We don’t have chairs here yet.”  Kiara laughs, cradling Mara in her arms.  “I’m glad I decided not to let you hold her during this trip…”

“I…suppose I just…”  She stands and bolts, shaking her head.

“Lorena—”  I stop Kiara from following her.

“She had friends who died here, friends who the only thing she could do for them was keep their heirs safe.  She needs time to get used to the present.  You and I both know how vivid some memories are.”  She nods slowly and we watch as a gyrfalcon takes off into the sky.  I sigh and turn to the group assembled.  “Are there any good wood carvers in the Keep?  I know of a couple in the palace.  Someone with wings, go find anyone you think will be able to make posts like what Lorena was describing.”

I smile, a plan for the nest’s structure forming in my head.  I can see the same light in the eyes of the artists and architects and one sparrow flies off to the Keep.  A raven artist steps forward.

“I’ve become familiar with the carvers in the palace market.  I can find out if they will be willing to help.”  I nod and she takes flight.

“You want us to try to recreate this nest she was describing?”  I nod again and they start discussing how to do it.  Mara starts crying and Kiara excuses herself, shifting to her demi-form and flying to the top of the cliff for a bit of privacy.

. . .

We return to the palace and clean up before heading towards the nest.  A raven lands in front of us as we cross from the palace to the nest.

“What’s wrong?  Did something happen at the Keep?”  Kiara asks worriedly before her eyes glaze for a moment, flashing silver and then deepening to a light shade of bluish purple.  “Nothing dangerous, at least.”

“Um…Milady Shardae has just given birth.  Her Alistair wished the two of you to be notified immediately.”  I smile brightly.

“That’s great news.  You can go back and convey our congratulations and well wishes while they wait for Betsy to release the Tuuli Thea and her daughter to travel to the palace.”  I tell the raven and he looks at Kiara.

“Agreed.  Though…your message can wait a few moments while you rest.  Come into the nest and have some food and drink before you return to the Keep.”  She motions with her free hand to the door to the nest and he takes the invitation gratefully—though he seems nervous about going into the nest.  We go inside and I smile brightly.

“Good news!  Our Arami has been born.  Now we only have to wait for Betsy to allow Zane and Danica to return with the child so we can see her.”  The nest erupts into cheers and we sit at the fire with the raven.

“Relax.  No one here bites.  And more and more of us seem to have feathers lately.”  One of the girls laughs, handing a roll to the nervous raven.

“How are plans for the Wyvern’s Nest going, Matthew?”  Another asks me, sitting close.

“We’re looking for carvers to help with the supports for the structure.”

“We heard.  Miss Lorena knew of a nest there?  I heard that it was her description of a nest in the exact spot we’re looking at as the inspiration.”  A sparrow chimes in.

“Yes, she described it and inspiration hit us all.”

. . .

“I think she’s ready to take her first steps…”  Kiara says lightly, playing with Mara in the center of the valley while we watch as the buildings begin to rise.  We look over at familiar steps and smile at Zane and Danica, Danica carrying their daughter Oliza.

“We brought lunch.”  Zane lifts a basket and Danica sits beside Kiara, putting Oliza down.  The two wyverns crawl to meet each other and start laughing and playing together.  He sits beside me and we watch the two girls play.  “Danica thinks she’s ready to start walking.”

“Kia was just saying the same about Mara.”  I laugh.

“Where’s Lorena?  I hear she rarely comes here anymore.”

“She’s…”

“My mother is dancing with _Ecl_ recently.  Finding a way to calm herself and be able to walk in this valley without losing herself to the past and tears.  She will return when she is ready.”  We blink in surprise at Kiara and she sighs, shaking her head a little.  I’ve already gotten used to her referring to Lorena as her mother, though she has only called Lorena ‘mother’ once on purpose.

“Okay…”  Danica suddenly laughs happily and we look at her.  The girls are helping each other stand.

. . .

“Matthew, we’ve found the underground rooms Lorena was talking about.”  I look at the avian that spoke.

“Okay, thank you Evan.  Are the stairs stable?”

“Yes, they’re made of stone.  And they _glow_.”  I pause and go to investigate.  Sure enough, the stairs they uncovered are glowing with lines of multicolored lights.  I go down them and look around.  I’m in a circular hall with doors spaced around it at intervals, glowing with the same lines as the stairs.

“I think this is old magic.  The lights change colors.”  I start up the stairs again.  “Find Kiara, she should be nearby with our daughter.  I want her to have a look at this to make sure.”  Evan nods and tells an unoccupied serpent to find her.  I go back downstairs and open the doors, investigating the state of each room.

“Well, this is definitely old magic.”  Kiara says behind me.  “Very well Drawn too.”

“Huh?”

“Oh.  Sorry…spells are called Drawings.  When they’re engraved into something solid or woven to be placed over something.  Kel and Rei’s scars from the island—the ones that glow at least—are Drawings.”  I nod slowly.  “How are the rooms?”

“Dusty.  And I wouldn’t be surprised if the beds are rotted.”  We go into a room and sit on the bed.  It holds up and feels okay.

“They’re probably coated with magic as well.  See how warm the surface of the bed is?  Even though no one’s slept in it for thousands of years.”  I nod, noticing the warmth of it.

“To believe this has been here, untouched for so long and still probably the same as when it was in use…”  Kiara nods in agreement and we go back upstairs.  “We’ll need to dust down there, but that’s about it.”  I inform Evan, who was waiting anxiously at the entrance for us to return.  He nods and turns back to directing the building of the nest.

“It’s certainly coming along.”  I nod once as we watch the builders set a post in the ground.  Kiara puts an arm around me.  “Everything is growing to be so beautiful.  Shall we have our daughter as the first student of our Wyvern’s Nest?”  I laugh a little and nod.


End file.
